


Cold

by Jb1979jb



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-10-31 21:58:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17857709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jb1979jb/pseuds/Jb1979jb
Summary: Ellie and Hardy relocate to Scotland, amid new challenges





	1. Chapter 1

Ellie Miller slipped through her front door, latching it behind her as quietly as she could. The light in the upstairs hall had been left on for her, but otherwise, the house was dark and silent. Unbundling herself from her heavy coat and scarf, Ellie crept up the stairs. She stole a peak at her smart watch as she paused at the top. 2:36 a.m. Ellie stopped at a closed door, pushing firmly into the knob, slowly and silently turning it. She peeked in on a sleeping Fred, who stirred without waking as the dim hallway light briefly illuminated his face. Gently shutting the door, Ellie continued down the hall, flipping the light switch off behind her before quietly entering her own bedroom. Alec Hardy was fast asleep in bed. Ellie watched him a moment before creeping in, shrugging off her jacket and undoing her blouse. As she buttoned her pajamas, Ellie heard a stirring behind her. Hardy looked up at her blearily, half awake. “All right?”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Hmmm… you didn’t.”

Ellie scoffed as she climbed into bed. “Yes, I did.” She pulled the covers up to her chin. “It’s bloody freezing out.”

“It’s Scotland. Get used to it.” Alec was fading fast. He reached over to Ellie, hand landing on her shoulder in what she figured was meant to be an affectionate gesture. She laced her fingers in his as they both drifted off in the early hours.

Morning came too soon as weak daylight coaxed Ellie awake. Alec shifted next to her, putting his arm around her waist as he pushed his face between her shoulder blades. “Where were you last night?” he mumbled, barely awake.

“There was a late arrest for that teenage stabbing victim. I had to meet with the family.”

In the six months since relocating to Scotland, both Alec and Ellie had made career adjustments. Although working in the same jurisdiction, they were housed in different departments. Ellie had undergone training to become a family liaison officer, with the expectation she’d spend part of the time in uniform, but her caseload was steady enough that she managed a continuous flow of victims and their families. Alec was promoted to a D.C.I. position within a large constabulary, one of several within his department. More time in the office and less time investigating had been an adjustment, but a different environment and a more varied workload was a welcome challenge. Alec’s schedule was more regular, while Ellie’s remained relatively unpredictable. Despite this, the move had been a positive change all around. With their older children happily living independently, and Fred enjoying Year 2 in a new school, the family was adapting comfortably to their new normal.

However, on that particular chilly morning, closed up inside the bedroom of the house they’d purchased together shortly after its construction, neither felt any urgency to wake up and confront the day as they lay together in the dim light. Ellie idly wondered if Alec had fallen back asleep until his hand found its way to the buttons of her pajama top, long fingers undoing them one at a time before sliding his palm inside. Ellie initially snorted with laughter, but took in a few sharp breaths as she felt Alec’s fingertips glide up her sternum and onto her breasts. She pushed herself back, feeling his arousal against her leg. Alec moved his face up to kiss the back of her neck, working his way to the side of her throat. Ellie reached back to place her land behind his head, stroking his hair as he continued to run his lips over her neck. 

“What’s all this, then?” Ellie closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of Alec’s hands against her skin.

“Just haven’t seen you since yesterday morning,” Alec murmured into her neck. “I missed you.” With that, he slid his hand down into Ellie’s pajama bottoms, touching her slowly as she gasped out. She turned her head to kiss him, both hands running down his neck to his back. She maneuvered herself backwards, pulling Alec on top of her as they continued to kiss. Ellie sat them up long enough to pull Alec’s t-shirt over his head, discarding it on the floor as they settled back down. They removed their pajama bottoms before Alec worked himself inside of Ellie, moving slowly but pushing in deeply. Ellie’s back arched involuntarily at the sensation. The warmth and pressure on and inside of her made her throb. The two maintained a quiet, steady rhythm as they ran their hands and mouths over each other. Ellie came first, gasping against Alec’s neck, moaning quietly in his ear. Ellie’s sound, as well as the grip she held on his arms, pushed Alec over the edge shortly after. They lay together, catching their breath, Hardy’s head against Ellie’s shoulder as she buried her face into the top of his head.

Both stayed still for a long moment before Alec pressed a quick kiss to Ellie’s neck. He climbed over her to amble towards the bathroom door, leaving Ellie to watch his naked form disappear out of sight. Pulling the sheets back up to fend off the morning chill, Ellie surveyed the bedroom as she heard the shower turn on through the partially open door. She considered how completely their lives had changed in a few months, but marveled in how natural and comfortable everything felt.

The change wasn’t lost on Hardy as he prepared breakfast for a wiggly Fred. Ellie pulled her still-wet hair into a bun as the kettle warmed. Hardy watched her open the cabinets to search for tea bags as he poured milk in Fred’s cereal. He thought back to what seemed like another lifetime, in a different kitchen with a different woman and child. As nervous as he’d been stepping back into parenting duty, Hardy was enjoying family life with a young kid at home again, even on Fred’s loudest, most boisterous days. Ellie’s divorce was an ongoing battle, with Joe providing plenty of resistance from behind the tightly locked doors of the secure facility where he would spend the next fifteen years. Convincing Joe to relinquish his parental rights received the brunt of the pushback. Ellie and Alec’s formerly short-term plans – finalize the divorce, a quick civil wedding, and then move forward with Hardy legally adopting Fred – dragged on without resolution. Despite this, Hardy felt at peace with the future. So far, juggling the many aspects of their move had resulted in positive outcomes, and Alec was uncharacteristically optimistic about what was to come.

Ellie caught Hardy’s look as she set out mugs. She gave him a raise of her brow at the half smile he hadn’t noticed appear on his lips. “What?”

Not wanting to start the day too seeped in sentiment, Alec just pointed at her post-shower bun. “You’re going to freeze to death.”

Ellie scoffed, but returned his smile. “I’ll take my chances.”

Hardy’s mobile buzzed against the countertop. He glanced down to see a text from a D.S. in his new office. 

Are you on your way? Situation developing here. Missing persons report came in. Seems suspicious.

Hardy pocketed the mobile and picked up one of the mugs Ellie prepared. “That’s me off,” he said, departing with a kiss for Ellie and an affectionate ruffle of Fred’s hair. “See you lot later.”

Grabbing his cot and walking out into the chilly morning, Hardy surmised that he may not know what the day would bring, but he felt good about where he departed from.


	2. Chapter 2

Hardy walked into his new office, briefly surveying the activity of the room. This CID was far larger than Broadchurch’s, with many more personnel milling around the spacious, but older, building. Detectives and uniform were hard at work, typing at computers, answering their phones, and considering paperwork. As Hardy tossed his mac over the back of his office chair, he heard a knock at the door. Peering in was Morrison, a D.S. in his mid thirties. To Hardy’s secret relief, Morrison wasn’t intimidated by him, nor did he feel the need to overcompensate with arrogance. Morrison’s midrange nonchalance made him easy to work with, and Hardy often sought him out for callouts and interviews. 

“Morning, sir,” said Morrison as he entered Hardy’s office, papers in hand. “Here’s the information on that missing person.” Morrison handed the stack to Hardy, who put on his glasses to read over the information. As Hardy read, Morrison continued. “Richard Chapman. He’s 20 years old. He was last seen Friday at the restaurant where he waits tables. Coworkers said he received a call, seemed upset, and left early, saying he didn’t feel well. Richard was scheduled to work today, but didn’t show up and wouldn’t answer calls. A mate from the restaurant drove over to his flat and found the door unlocked and Richard’s car parked outside. Richard was nowhere to be seen, but his wallet, keys, and mobile were all inside. No sign of forced entry or disturbance. We’re still pulling up information, but we’re not seeing any indication that he used his mobile or any of his accounts since before his shift on Friday.”

“Right,” Hardy replied, furrowing his brow as he read over the documents. “Are you in contact with any family members? A significant other?”

Morrison shook his head. “We’ve talked to his friends at the restaurant. He’s not seeing anyone. According to his coworkers, Richard’s father died a few years back, and it sounds as though he was estranged from other relatives. No one knew much about his mum. We’re looking for contact information for any family members, as well as pulling up CCTV near his flat to see if we can spot him.”

Hardy nodded as he returned the paperwork to Morrison. “Right. Get any footage from around the restaurant as well. Let’s recreate his movements after he left work Friday.”

Morrison departed with a nod as Hardy sat down behind his computer. He opened a file linked from his email account to reveal police-compiled information about Richard Chapman. Hardy studied his picture. Richard was a handsome young man, with sandy hair and green eyes. He stared up at Hardy from the information sheet, face and eyes neutral, revealing nothing. Hardy looked back, questioning how a young man could seemingly disappear in a busy metropolitan area without anyone noticing.

 

By mid afternoon, Ellie was at her own desk, following up on her most recent inquiry. Over the course of the past four days, a fourteen year old boy had been found stabbed to death in an alley not far from his home. Based on the eyewitness of a few neighbors, as well as CCTV footage, three boys not much older than the victim had been arrested and charged with his murder. The lad had seemingly been in the wrong place at the wrong time, the victim of a random burglary gone bad. His family was inconsolable, understandably. As Ellie typed up her notes, she considered the ramifications of loss. Not only the prospect of losing someone in the present, but grieving their potential and the future that could never be. Beth popped into Ellie’s mind as she worked. It had been awhile since they spoke, and Ellie had missed Beth’s presence since relocating. Ellie reached for her phone, intending to send Beth a text to touch base, when activity picked up around CID. Ellie peered up over her computer. Her new D.I., an affable, grey-haired bloke called Martin MacArthur, stepped out of his office, with two other officers trailing. “Sergeant Miller,” he called over, gesturing for her to follow. Ellie shut off her monitor and followed them into a conference room. Once inside, MacArthur addressed the group.

“The front desk received a call about an hour ago. A Linda Evans came home from work and found her three children weren’t home. They left school at the normal time, but there’s no indication that they arrived at the house. She checked with their friends, but no one has seen them since school dismissed. We’re not getting a cell signal from any of their phones.” Martin turned towards one of the detective sergeants. “Karina, you and I will head to the Evans house to talk to their mother. Ellie, you’re acting as family liaison.” Both women nodded before following Martin out.

 

Ellie spent the rest of her shift in the living room of Linda Evans, a devastated nurse and the mother of three missing children. Linda was a widow who’d lost her husband to lymphoma a few years earlier. She’d adopted her husband’s two children, and they shared a daughter together. Ellie sat with Linda, who shook with fear and grief as police combed fruitlessly through her home, looking for any evidence that may indicate what became of her kids. 

Hardy’s afternoon hadn’t resulted in any significant leads. There was inadequate CCTV around Richard Chapman’s flat, leaving CID with no good visual on his movement after leaving work. No good information on family. No useful information from friends. The disappearance of the Evans children threatened to take attention and resources away from Richard Chapman. Hardy didn’t begrudge the focus on the missing children. The Evans children were young – 12, 9, and 6 – and time was of the essence to ensure their safe recovery.

It was well into the night before Ellie and Hardy returned home, confused and frustrated by the dead ends of their respective days. Ellie was grateful that Fred had made several friends in his new school. His mates had understanding parents, who were flexible enough to accommodate Fred when Alec and Ellie were tied up with work. In Fred’s absence, the house was uncharacteristically quiet as the two sat in their kitchen, splitting cold leftovers and debriefing their days.

“Is there a chance that Richard Chapman left voluntarily?” Ellie asked Hardy as she swirled unheated pasta around her fork. “I mean, it would take some preplanning, but he could have slowly saved up cash and bought a burner phone without drawing attention to himself over time.”

“Maybe,” Hardy mused. He poked at a piece of sausage. “But why leave work in the middle of a shift? It would be easier to slip out at night. And what of the call he received? There were no details associated with the number that called him. It doesn’t make sense.”

Ellie mulled as she chewed her spaghetti. “A man goes missing not long before several children do.” She raised her brows at Hardy. “Do you think there’s any chance the disappearances are related?”

Hardy paused, fork positioned in the open takeaway box. He considered the idea for a moment. “Possibly. There’s no obvious reason they’d be connected, but it’s worth pursing.”

Ellie stabbed at the pasta before taking another bite. She pointed her empty fork at the container. “You finished?” Hardy nodded before Ellie stood to throw the takeaway container into the bin. She moved their forks to the sink as Hardy walked up behind her. “It’s so quiet when Fred’s not here,” Ellie said as she washed up. “It’s almost eerie.” Hardy wrapped his arms around her waist while Ellie dried the cutlery. She smiled as he planted kisses on her neck and shoulder.

“Just us,” Hardy murmured as he continued his ministrations. “We should take advantage of this opportunity.”

“Oh?” Ellie laughed as Hardy’s hands found their way under her blouse and up towards her breasts. She leaned back into him. “And what did you have in mind?”

Alec turned her around to face him before pushing her backwards towards the counter and planting a deep kiss on her lips. Ellie returned the kiss enthusiastically, running her hands up over his chest. As they snogged in the quiet kitchen, Hardy and Ellie removed each other’s clothing, letting each item drop haphazardly to the ground. Ellie worked her way down Hardy’s chest, kneeling to service him as he gripped the edge of the countertop. He closed his eyes, savoring the building sensation for several minutes. Not wanting to end the encounter too abruptly, Hardy joined Ellie on the kitchen floor, lying down and pulling her on top. Ellie repositioned herself on him, and maintained a firm pace. She leaned down to kiss him as he ran his hands along her side and on her back. Hardy finished first, gripping Ellie’s hips as she continued to move on top of him. He moved his hand between her legs, providing enough friction and movement that she gasped out shortly after. Ellie lay down next to Hardy on the cold floor, embracing him among the abandoned clothing scattered around them. She savored his warmth as he draped an arm around her shoulder. Neither was exactly comfortable on the ground, but both stayed in position. Their minds may have been racing over both missing persons cases, but for now, alone in the silent kitchen, they made due with each other as their pounding hearts cooled down.


	3. Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Ellie made her way back to Linda Evans’ home. The house buzzed with activity, as officers and SOCO thoroughly searched her children’s bedrooms. Linda sat at her dining table, shaking, as Ellie joined her, offering a cup of tea. “Did you sleep?” Ellie inquired gently.

Linda shook her head, cup gently rattling in her hands. “I couldn’t. I was just waiting to hear the phone ring or the front door open, hoping it would be them and this would all just be a giant misunderstanding.” Linda stared down into her tea. “I keep praying that they’re just out there messing about, at a friend’s house or just playing a massive prank.” Linda gave a chuckle that resonated with a sob. She glanced up at Ellie through tear-matted eyelashes. “Have you got kids?”

Ellie gave a small nod. “We’ve got three. Um, his and mine.”

Linda looked back down at her mug. “I never saw myself getting involved with a man who had children, you know? But I fell so hard for Greg, and his kids… Tania was just a baby when we met. Eric was four, and so full of energy and enthusiasm –“ Linda chuckled breathlessly at the memory “-I loved the three of them as soon as I met them. It was like I walked straight into my family. They were just waiting for me. We married after a year of dating, and Annie came along not too long after that.” Linda choked on her sobs. “But when Greg became ill, and stopped responding to the treatments…” She covered her mouth with her hand as the tears flowed. Ellie reached a reassuring hand to Linda’s back. “We had the most amazing five years together. And I still had the children. They’re what kept me going. I knew I had to stay strong for them. Tania and Eric have been through so much, what with everything involving Greg’s first wife, and losing their father… but they were so resilient. They never gave up.” Linda put her face between her elbows, sobbing into the table as Ellie gently stroked her shoulder. “What am I going to do?”

The two women otherwise sat in silence as Linda cried for several minutes. Eventually, she lifted her head, face ashen and breath shaky. Ellie allowed her a respite before making inquiries. “Greg’s first wife… is she Tania and Eric’s biological mother?” Linda nodded as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Ellie continued. “Is she deceased?”

Linda shook her head. “No, they divorced and Greg won full custody of the children. His ex relinquished parental rights. She was ordered to pay child maintenance, but never did. She never contacted Greg or the kids after the divorce either. He didn’t know where she’d gone. He’d managed to track her down a few times over the years, just to keep tabs, but she moved frequently and suffered from ill mental health. Greg said she left shortly after Tania was born, and that was the end of their contact.”

Ellie nodded as she mulled the information. “Do you know her name?”

“Shannon,” Linda replied. “She may still go by Evans, but I don’t know. The last time Greg located her, she still used his surname, but that was a year before he died.” 

 

Across town, in a much less crowded flat, Hardy stood in Richard Chapman’s front room as he, D.S. Morrison, and a third officer combed through drawers and shelves, turning up scarce information. No unpaid bills, no suspicious substances - nothing that struck Hardy as unusual or out of the ordinary. Hardy stepped into Richard’s loo. Toiletries remained in the shower, and a toothbrush sat by the sink – no indication that Richard had packed up any necessities. Walking back out into the living room, Hardy noted that the flat – while lived in – didn’t contain much in terms of personal items. No decorations on the walls, no photographs of family or friends, not even any movies, books, or music sources. Richard’s personality didn’t show much in his home, Hardy mused. But, then again, he realized, anyone could make that same assumption about Hardy by looking through his many different living spaces over the past several years. Even now, Ellie had been the one to paint the walls and hang the pictures in their new house. Before Hardy could spend too much time considering if he’d been slightly misogynistic by not putting more effort into making their shared space homey, Morrison called him over.

“Sir,” Morrison nodded at a computer charger plugged into the wall. Hardy scanned the room.

“Have we come across any computers? Any other devices this might belong to?”

Morrison shook his head. “Nothing so far.”

Hardy furrowed his brow. “Why take a computer but leave his mobile, keys, and wallet behind? That doesn’t make any sense.” He turned towards Morrison. “Bag the charger, see if we can match it with a specific brand or model of computer. Look for bills or contracts with any internet providers. Let’s see if we can get any browsing history or online activity.”

Morrison unplugged the charger with gloved hands, before dropping it into an evidence bag. “That may not be possible without the device.” He held up the evidence bag. “If taking the computer was deliberate, he may regret leaving the charger behind.”

Hardy sighed. Two days in, and information about Richard Chapman’s disappearance was failing to solidify. They were no further ahead than they were yesterday. “Well, let’s see what forensics can do. Follow through with them, see if they can get any information off the phone.”

Morrison nodded before departing the flat, bagged evidence in hand.

 

The day passed with no good leads in either case. Hardy mentally walked through Chapman’s flat as the family ate dinner, so engrossed in his thoughts that he barely heard Fred’s mile-a-minute account of his sleepover and subsequent school day. He mentally combed through Chapman’s belongings. Was there anything unusual? Anything besides the computer that could possibly be missing? Hardy continued to ponder his lack of answers as he washed the dinner dishes and cleared away the latest takeaway containers. Placing leftovers in the fridge, he briefly wondered if Fred ever noticed – or cared – that Hardy and Ellie rarely cooked at home, due to work schedules and time restraints. Not that the young lad seemed to mind as he managed to take a few bites between the details of his daily summaries. Ellie had taken Fred upstairs to ready him for bed, while Hardy tidied the kitchen. He paused his work when his mobile buzzed.

“Received some information back from forensics, sir,” Morrison informed Hardy over the phone. “The ISP doesn’t exactly keep records of browsing history, but does track IP addresses of websites visited or where emails are sent. However, there’s no way to tell what someone would write, or what specific content they might look at. There was no activity since before the start of his shift on Friday.”

“What if Richard Chapman were to use his same computer in a different place?” Hardy inquired as he dried dishes.

“It wouldn’t have any affect on his ISP records if it was a totally different connection. Unless we had a way to track his device, it could be turned on anywhere by anyone and we wouldn’t be the wiser.”

Hardy groaned as he stacked plates. “Bloody hell. Well, at least tell me we can get something off his phone.”

Morrison sighed on the other line. “It’s locked with a pass code. It’s not impossible to break in, but it’s a long and difficult process. Forensics is looking through his mobile records and the IP information to see if there’s anything of interest.”

“Right.” Hardy internally cursed the lack of new information. “Well, ring me if anything flags up.”

Hardy pocketed his mobile as he placed the last of the dishes in the cupboard. Noting how quiet the house was, Hardy made his way upstairs towards Fred’s room. He snorted as he peeked in to see Ellie curled up next to Fred in his single bed, both fast asleep. He crept in to awaken Ellie by rubbing her back. She jolted suddenly, looking up blearily at Hardy. “Oh, bloody hell,” she mumbled, sitting up.

“That can’t be comfortable,” Hardy said with amusement.

“It’s not,” Ellie replied, holding out her hand. Hardy accepted it, pulling her up and leading her out of Fred’s dark bedroom. They walked into their own bedroom, switching off lights and closing doors in the process. Ellie immediately stretched out on the bed while Hardy unbuttoned his shirt.

“How did it go today?” Ellie questioned sleepily as Hardy slipped a t-shirt over his head.

“Not well,” he replied, removing his trousers and depositing them into the laundry hamper. Clad only in the t-shirt and his boxers, he joined a fully-dressed Ellie in bed. “We’re surmising that he had a computer, but it’s not in his flat. Nothing else appeared to be missing, or remotely noteworthy.” She shifted over to lie against his chest. “Any news on the Evans children?”

Ellie shook her head from her position against Hardy. “No. We’re looking for the biological mother of the Evans’ oldest two children. No luck so far. It doesn’t sound like she was involved in their lives, so I’m not optimistic we’ll get any good information from her.” Ellie placed her hand on Hardy’s chest while he draped his across her shoulder. She lightly stroked the small bump that housed Hardy’s pacemaker. “Did you ever make contact with a local cardiologist?”

Hardy groaned. “If I get any bloody downtime, I’ll look into it.”

Ellie let her hand still over the pacemaker. “You bloody better. Your doctor in Broadchurch said there’s a possibility this one may need replacing soon. Don’t you dare neglect this.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hardy replied with a good-natured sigh, covering her hand with his. They lay in silence for a few minutes, until he felt Ellie’s breathing regulate with sleep. He gently shook her awake. “You better change, unless you fancy sleeping in your suit.” Ellie stood up with a groan and trudged across the room as Alec continued staring at the ceiling, mentally searching for answers about Richard Chapman that were nowhere to be found in his bedroom.


	4. Chapter 4

Café Somerset was quiet that early morning, save for gentle rattling from the kitchen as the day crew prepped for the lunch hour. Hardy was sat with Jamie, Richard Chapman’s mate and fellow waiter. After four days gone, and no strong leads on Chapman’s whereabouts, Hardy revisited his coworkers to see if he could garner any new information.

“Does Richard use social media? Any profiles?”

Jamie shook his head. “I don’t think so. If he did, he wasn’t following me. We’d message on WhatsApp, but that’s all I know about.”

“Did he ever send any unusual messages?”

“Nothing that I ever thought was strange.” Jamie pulled his phone from his pocket and clicked around before handing it to Hardy. Hardy scrolled through their history. The messages seemed very ubiquitous – questions about shifts at work, plans to meet at pubs, discussions about football scores. Nothing out of the ordinary. Hardy handed the mobile back to Jamie.

“Does Richard own a computer?”

Jamie mulled the question. “Silver Mac Book, I think?” 

“Is he in school? Does he work anywhere else?”

“No,” Jamie replied. “Just here.”

“Did you ever meet any significant others? Mates from outside of work?”

“No,” Jamie sighed. “I’m sorry. We get along well, and we go out quite a bit, but I’m starting to think I don’t know him at all.”

Hardy looked up from his notes. “You told another officer that Richard’s father had died a few years back.”

“That’s what Richard told me,” replied Jamie. “He was 15, I think he said. Richard said his mum had left when he was young, and he was mostly raised by his dad. He said they were close. He moved in with his grandmother for a few years after his dad died, but moved out on his own when he left school. This was a couple years back when Richard told me, back when we were first working here. He didn’t seem too keen to talk about family.”

“This grandmother,” Hardy inquired. “Was it his mum’s mum or his dad’s?”

“Don’t know,” said Jamie. He peered up at Hardy. “Do you… is Richard going to be all right?”

Hardy paused as he slipped his notebook into his jacket. “We’re doing everything we can.” He deposited the notebook and pulled out his card. “If anything comes to you, please give me a ring at the station.” Jamie accepted the card as Hardy nodded goodbye.

***

After three cups of the strongest tea she could brew, Ellie was still having difficulty shaking off the fatigue of the morning. She’d felt drained since she’d awoken, the urgency of the Evans case pressing down on her. It had been nearly 48 hours since the children had been last seen, and everyone in the office was acutely aware that their chances of success were fading over time. Ellie was about to join the other investigators when her mobile buzzed from its position on her desk. Ellie glanced down at the caller ID. Her solicitor.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Miller.” The solicitor had a pleasant voice, but the lack of progress in her divorce was putting Ellie on edge. “Mr. Miller is petitioning for visitation and is refusing to relinquish his parental rights.”

“There’s no bloody way I’m driving my son to a psychiatric hospital to see Joe. Fred hasn’t seen him in over six years, since he was a baby. Joe is a stranger to him.”

“That’s what I told his solicitor,” he answered. “Don’t get discouraged, Ellie. Even if Joe continues to refuse, we can always petition the courts directly to terminate his parental rights. It’s not the fastest or easiest option, but his criminal history is compelling enough to make your case. We can do this.” Ellie appreciated the solicitor’s attempts to reassure her, but the situation, along with the Evans case, contributed to the feeling of malaise wearing her down. Ellie glanced up to see Martin, her D.I., signaling her.

After thanking the solicitor and hanging up, Ellie joined Martin and Karina, another sergeant in the department, in his office. “CCTV and mobile records just came through. Check this out.” The two women joined in around his computer monitor. On the screen were the three Evans children. As they stopped at a pedestrian crossing, Eric looked around before pulling his mobile from his pocket. After he said something to Tania, she did the same. The two children busied themselves for a moment before depositing the phones in their book bags. Giving another look around, Eric took Annie by the hand, and the three turned in the opposite direction, walking out of sight.

“This was 15:28 on Monday,” Martin said. “Take a look at their mobile records.”

Ellie scanned through Eric’s records while Karina perused Tania’s. “Bloody hell,” Ellie said with realization. “Were they turning their phones off?” The last cellular activity from both children was shortly before their appearance in the CCTV footage.

Martin sighed. “That’s what it looks like.”

Karina glanced up from her papers. “Any other footage?”

Martin clicked through the screen. “They’re on the school cameras leaving at the regular time. Initially, they’re walking in the correct direction to get home. We do have this.” He clicked over to a new window showing a moderately busy roadway. In the upper corner of the footage, three children in school uniforms duck into an alleyway between two buildings and out of sight. “The height and clothing descriptions match.”

“They ran away?” Karina said, brows furrowed.

“It’s a possibility,” Martin shrugged. “Ellie, follow through with the mother. Let’s see if we can get information about any problems at school, home issues, questionable friends… anything that might get us a lead.”

Ellie’s conversation with Alec about Richard Chapman’s missing computer came to mind. “Sir? Have we had an opportunity for Linda Evan’s itemize her children’s belongings? If they packed in the morning, she may be able to determine if anything’s missing.”

Martin nodded. “Good idea. Go through with her today.”

Ellie and Karina moved back into the bullpen. Ellie flipped through her copies of the mobile records – each child made dozens of text messages each day. Ellie scanned through, noticing the same numbers appearing over and over. She pointed them out to Karina, who looked over the page.

“Ask the mum if she has phone numbers for any of their friends or any other regular contacts. I’ll pull up Linda Evan’s information. Let’s see what we can eliminate.”

Ellie took a sip of tea. The mint smell was suddenly overwhelming, and she had to hold back the urge to gag. Ellie choked on the tea, holding her hand over her mouth as to not spray Karina and the mobile records as she coughed. Karina looked over, eyebrows raised in concern, as Ellie tried her best to ignore the nausea.

“You alright?” Karina asked.

Ellie nodded, still coughing on the errant tea. “Yeah. Just didn’t sit right. It’s my fourth cup this morning. I should lay off for a bit.”

Ellie dumped out the offending tea before grabbing her belongings and walking out into the car park. A few deep breaths of fresh air helped to settle her stomach a bit, before entering her car and calling Hardy over Bluetooth. 

“All right, love?” Hardy’s voice popped through after a few rings.

“Hi. Just checking in.”

“Any news on the Evans children?”

“Not exactly.” Ellie pulled onto the street as she spoke. “CCTV footage suggests they turned off their own mobiles and walked away on their own accord.”

“Really?” She could hear Alec’s surprise through the speaker. 

“Yeah. I’m on my way to their house now, going to go through contacts and personal belongings with the mother. How about you? Any luck?”

“Somewhat.” Ellie could hear the sounds of the office in the background. “Had a rather fruitless interview with Chapman’s work mate this morning, but I was able to track down some information on his mother’s side of the family. He lived with a nan for awhile, his mum’s mum. We were finally able to get his own mother’s name, but haven’t been able to track her down. She’s Shannon Eastman.”

Ellie mulled the information as she drove. “The two oldest Evans children’s mother is a Shannon as well. As far as Linda Evans knew, she still used their father’s surname.” Neither spoke for a moment before Ellie continued. “Is this a coincidence?”

“I don’t know.” Hardy went quiet on the other end of the line. “Could be. Seems like there are a lot of coincidences all at once.” Ellie could hear his keyboard tapping. “It’s worth following up on.”

“Did you ever call your GP for a cardiology referral?” Ellie felt this was as good of a moment to pester Hardy.

“Soon as we’ve safely recovered Richard Chapman and the Evans children, it’s at the top of my list.”

“Ha.” Ellie aimed for sarcasm, but couldn’t help but be amused. She pulled up to the curb outside the Evans home. “Gotta go.” 

“See you tonight. Love you.”

Ellie paused and smiled to herself. “I love you, too.” She exited the car and headed towards the Evan’s front door, glad that the warmth of the conversation was momentarily winning over her lingering nausea.


	5. Chapter 5

“I don’t understand this.” Linda Evans shook her head in disbelief as she stood in the disarray of Eric’s bedroom. Ellie took in the boy’s bedroom from her vantage point in the doorway. It reminded her so much of Tom’s when he was this age. Posters of footballers covered the walls, and clothing and books were scattered on the floor and over the partially made bed. Ellie recognized the telltale signs of SOCO’s previous visits - smears of fingerprint powder, as well as grooves from furniture in the carpet, were among the few clues that the room had been thoroughly searched. Ellie could imagine Eric, based off his photographs, walking in and throwing himself into video games, his phone, or any other preteen interests. The room even smelled like a twelve year old boy. Ellie exhaled through her nose, still willing away the remnants of her earlier nausea. She forced herself to focus on Linda.

“What kinds of devices do your children own?” Ellie inquired as Linda opened dresser drawers.

“They share a tablet, but Annie mostly uses it. We have a family laptop, and I gave Eric one of his own for Christmas last year.”

“Have you seen any of them since the children disappeared?” Ellie asked gently as Linda dug through a pile of clothes on the floor. She shook her head.

“No. Going online was the last bloody thing on my mind. I didn’t even think to look.” Linda became teary as she stood among the mess. “I gave your detectives the usernames and passwords to all their social media accounts. That was my rule with Eric and Tania - I had to be able to access their Instagram and Snapchat apps whenever I wanted. They’re such good kids - I mean, nothing the least bit strange ever came up. I really don’t understand, Ellie, how...” Linda’s tears flowed freely. “What did I miss? How did I not see this coming?” She slowly sank to sit on Eric’s bed, sobbing as Ellie looked on. Ellie’s heart broke for Linda as the other woman shook under the weight of her grief.

Ellie led Linda out of Eric’s bedroom and down the stairs. Linda gained composure at the kitchen table as Ellie made her a cup of tea, deftly holding her breath to avoid queasiness. Gently placing the cup in front of Linda, Ellie joined her at the table. 

“Linda,” Ellie began. “How much do you know about Shannon Evans?”

Linda shook her head. “Not much,” she said. “She and Greg were together six or seven years. He spoke respectfully of her, but he was frustrated by everything. Greg said Shannon would have good periods, and then decide to stop taking her medication and spiral out. She left after Tania was born.”

Ellie nodded as she listened. “Do you know if Shannon had any other children besides Eric and Tania?”

“Greg said she’d had a baby as a teenager. He thought it may have exacerbated her mental health issues. She didn’t raise the baby, though, and Greg never met the kid.”

“You’d mentioned that Greg had tracked her down before he died. Do you remember where she was?”

“Living outside of Belfast,” Linda replied as she fiddled with her mug. “Greg had no idea why. He said he didn’t know of her having any family or friends in Northern Ireland.”

Ellie considered the information. “Do you know how old she is?”

“Greg said they were the same age,” replied Linda. “He would have been 45 in November, so somewhere around there, I guess.”

 

“Shannon’s first child would be in their late twenties or early thirties by now,” Ellie called through the open bathroom door. She sat up in bed, listening to Alec run the tap as she recounted her day. “That baby definitely wasn’t Richard Chapman, then.”

“Doesn’t mean she didn’t have other children between her first child and meeting Greg Evans,” Hardy replied as he entered the room, drying his face on a towel. 

“True,” Ellie replied as Hardy deposited the towel in the laundry hamper. “They wouldn’t have met for another ten or fifteen years.” She sighed as Alec climbed into bed. “But we’re grasping at straws here. All Richard Chapman and the Evans children have in common are that they’re missing, most of them were born to a woman named Shannon, and we can’t find their electronics. It’s tenuous at best.”

“I’m willing to look at any possibility at this point,” said Alec as he lay back and peered up at Ellie. 

“No luck today?”

Hardy shook his head. “Nothing substantial. Richard owns a laptop. That’s it.” He paused. “We did compare his mobile records to the restaurant’s phone bill. Whoever called him at work the day he disappeared had contacted him previously. There were several calls and texts made between Richard and that number over the course of several weeks.”

“Any information on the number?” Ellie inquired, reaching over to run her fingers through Hardy’s hair. He closed his eyes at her ministrations. 

“It’s a pay as you go mobile. Unregistered.” Hardy reached over to Ellie’s free arm to pull her down next to him. “I’m putting in a records request to your D.C.I. in the morning for any mobile and internet records for the Evans children. We can run a comparison, see if they had any contacts in common.”

“I’ll let him know.” Hardy rolled over to wrap his arm around Ellie’s waist as he pressed his lips to her neck. She savored the sensation as she fought off the fatigue that had plagued her all day. She let out a breathy laugh as Hardy moved his way to her collarbone while running his hands under her pajama top and over her sides. “Oh, Christ. I want to, but I don’t think I have the energy.” 

Hardy looked up at her from his location over her sternum, between the undone top buttons on her pajamas. “I’ll take care of you.” He continued unbuttoning as he kissed over her chest and stomach, pulling off Ellie’s pajama bottoms and pushing her knees apart. She felt much more awake as Hardy’s tongue made contact, drawing in a sharp breath while her worked on her. Ellie reached down to stroke the back of Hardy’s head as he lavished her. One hand remained firmly gripped on her hip while the other caressed her torso. Ellie tried to hold on and enjoy the sensation as long as she could, but it wasn’t long before she came, arching her back and gasping out. She pulled Hardy up into a deep snog as she frantically pulled down his pants. He pushed himself inside her, firmly and deeply. Hardy kept a quick, strong pace as Ellie wrapped her arms around his neck, hands running over his back. The frenetic encounter pushed Hardy over the edge, and he finished with a sharp breath before falling to his side, next to Ellie. He reached over to pull her to his chest, and they curled up together, skin-to-skin and breathing heavily.

 

Morning inevitably came, and Hardy found himself wide awake before Ellie or the alarm stirred. Thoughts of Richard Chapman entered his head. Chapman may not have left any clues to his current whereabouts, but would the Evans children be so careful? If the children had walked away willingly, and they were with Richard, surely they’d betray their hiding place by using electronics or being spotted by someone who recognized them from the news. Hardy looked over at Ellie, who was still fast asleep. She was right – the similarities between the cases were weak enough to be coincidental at this point. If it wasn’t for his personal relationship with another officer in another precinct, would anyone else even be considering a connection? Hardy mulled this question as he showered, before making a mental to-do list for the day – acquire what mobile and online histories they could from both cases and make comparisons, and expand the radius of CCTV footage collected to see if Richard Chapman could be seen leaving his neighborhood. Hardy turned off the water to hear the sound of the clock alarm bleating, uninterrupted, from his bedroom.

He wrapped himself in a towel and reentered the bedroom. Ellie was still asleep, oblivious to the blaring alarm. Hardy glanced down at the time. 6:06. How could Ellie have slept through the alarm for so long? He gently shook her awake. “Bloody hell, wake up.”

Ellie opened her eyes blearily. “Why is the alarm going off?” she mumbled, squinting at the clock. It took a moment for realization to kick in. “Oh.” Ellie rolled to her back and rubbed her eyes.

Hardy scoffed from his seat at the edge of the bed. “I guess I really did a number on you last night, eh?”

Ellie lightly hit him with a pillow, one hand still over her eyes. “Wanker.” She maneuvered into a seated position, looking barely awake. Ellie was typically a morning person, and Hardy couldn’t help but notice her recent sluggishness. 

“You alright?”

Ellie nodded, still bleary. “Yeah, fine.” She pushed back the sheets and joined Hardy to sit on the side of the bed. 

“I’ll see to Fred. You take your time.”

Ellie hummed in agreement before standing up to shuffle towards the shower. Hardy watched her a moment before he stood to move to the wardrobe. 

 

Later in the morning, in their respective offices, both Ellie and Hardy got to work. The connections between Richard Chapman and the Evans family were essentially nonexistent, but both were determined to flesh out any possible lead. Her precinct remitted the Evans family data records to Hardy’s, and officers searched them, looking for any shared contacts. Ellie met with Martin, Karina, and other detectives in CID to discuss the possibility of a relationship between the two cases. Ellie sat at her computer to begin the hunt for information on the estranged mums of the missing persons. Was Shannon Evans still out there? Could she also be Shannon Eastman? Did Eastman ever take Chapman’s surname? And what of Eric and Tania’s adult half-sibling? 

Ellie jotted notes and browsed through records before the same omnipresent nausea of the previous day ramped itself up. She stood up briskly and made it to the toilets before becoming sick. After her gagging ceased, Ellie glanced around the loo, relieved she was on her own. She stood at the sink to swish water in her mouth and rinse her face, avoiding looking at her own reflection in the mirror. Ellie judged herself for ignoring her own growing suspicions, mostly out of dread. She dried her face before straightening up her suit and rejoining the CID. Walking back to her desk, she was surprised to see Alec in a intense conversation with Martin and Karina. Martin gestured to Ellie as they saw her walk in.

“We’ve got something,” Alec told her. “The unregistered number that called Richard Chapman at the restaurant exchanged calls and texts with Eric Evans. There were three IP addresses originating emails to both Richard Chapman and the Evans household. They belong to different coffee shops in the Paisley area. We’ve made contact with a local constabulary and we’re heading there now. Go to Linda Evans, ask her if she knows anything about Richard Chapman.” He gave Ellie’s arm a discreet squeeze. “This could be the lead we’re looking for.” The four rode the lift down to the car park, Karina and Ellie heading for the Evan’s house while Martin and Hardy began the drive to Paisley.

 

A couple hours later, Karina and Ellie reentered CID, reviewing the conversation with Linda Evans. Although she had seen his face on telly since his own disappearance, Linda and her family had no connection to Richard Chapman. She studied his picture and the police-compiled information sheet, shaking her head as she sobbed. “Did he have something to do with my kids?” she cried, paper shaking in her hands.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Ellie replied gently.

Ellie checked her phone for any contact from Alec or Martin. Nothing yet. With Karina occupied at her desk, her boss out of the office, and an empty house a few miles away, Ellie took the opportunity to quietly step out.

Locking her front door behind her, Ellie made her way upstairs, reading the instructions on the couple of different brands of pregnancy tests she’d hastily purchased at a chemist on her way home. She took the tests, leaving them next to the sink while she waited in her bedroom, not wanting to be in the same space as the offending sticks. After an agonizing few minutes, Ellie reentered to loo with a heavy heart. Both positive.


	6. Chapter 6

Dazed, Ellie disposed of the tests and their packaging before emptying the bin into the rubbish outside. Better to talk to Alec before he saw the evidence himself, she surmised. Ellie reentered the quiet house and lay down on the couch in the front room, mind racing. Over nearly a year of shagging, she and Hardy had pretty much always been sloppy about taking precautions, usually getting so swept up in the moment that stopping for a condom or pulling out rarely happened. They’d occasionally discussed pursuing a more permanent or reliable contraception option, but neither had due to a lack of time and no real urgency. Ellie stared up at the ceiling and cursed her menstrual cycle. Weaning Fred, Danny Latimer’s death, Joe’s arrest and subsequent disaster of a trial – not to mention her 40th birthday - had all fallen within months of one another, leaving Ellie’s periods largely irregular and fairly unpredictable. Five years on, she had never considered falling pregnant a real risk. Even so, Ellie found herself with a very unplanned pregnancy at the age of 45.

Ellie knew she needed to return to work. She feared she wouldn’t be able to concentrate, but craved the distraction. The more mental energy she could devote to the Evans children and Richard Chapman, the less time she had to think about how to deal with this pregnancy. As Ellie sat herself up, her nerves danced on edge. What would she tell Alec? Ellie could feel the nausea kicking back in. She leaned forward, taking in deep breaths as unnerved tears pricked her eyes.

 

After two hours in the passenger seat of Ellie’s new boss’ car, Alec stepped out into the late afternoon sun outside a branch of the Paisley constabulary. Walking inside, Hardy and Martin were greeted by Christina, a local D.C.I.

“We called the coffee shops, got a hold of their CCTV footage on those dates you sent us,” she called over her shoulder as Martin and Hardy followed her into CID. “Officers are working with nearby businesses to see if we can get any good outdoor footage, once we know what we’re looking for.”

The three entered a media room, with chairs set up around monitors. Christina pulled up crisp footage of a bustling coffee shop. A couple dozen people were scattered around the shop, sitting, talking, and working. Hardy felt a nag of disappointment. He was hoping for a more straightforward answer.

“All of the footage matches the times you gave us from the emails,” Christina said. “Unfortunately, all the shops were packed. I wonder if our guy would have planned this out ahead of time, to be less noticeable.”

“Right,” Martin nodded. “Well, we’ll divide this up. We’ll watch the different shops. Get screen grabs of anyone using a computer or mobile device. We’ll make comparisons once we’ve singled a few people out.” The three readied themselves at their monitors and settled in for a long evening of looking for an answer when they weren’t yet sure of the question.

 

After several more fruitless hours at CID, Ellie left early enough to accompany Fred to his swimming lessons. More often than not, he went with a mate’s parents or a child minder. As Ellie sat near the side of the pool, watching Fred gleefully splash with his friends, she idly wondered if they would be any kind of parents to another child if they were barely around for the three they already had. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice her mobile buzzing at first. Ellie fished it from her purse. Alec. Trepidation chilled her stomach as she answered. “Hello?

“Alright, love?” Hardy’s voice came through the other end.

“How is it going in Paisley?”

Hardy sighed. “There’s a lot to sort through. Whoever sent those emails isn’t making it easy for us. Any luck with Linda Evans?”

“No,” Ellie replied. “She denied any knowledge of knowing Richard Chapman. She was pretty shaken up. I didn’t get any leads on Shannon Evans or Shannon Eastman, either.”  


Hardy paused on the other end. “Are you okay? You sound strange.”

“Um, yeah, fine,” Ellie lied. “I, um, just took Fred to swimming today. It’s just… loud in here.”

“Okay.” Ellie tried to ignore the concern in his voice. “Listen… Martin and I are staying up here tonight. We’re going to go through the CCTV footage from the coffee shops, see if we can find the same person in all three locations. I’m aiming to come back in the morning.” Hardy paused again. “Unless you’d like me to come back tonight.”

“Um, no,” Ellie said, shifting on the bleachers. “Where will you sleep?”

“There are couches in some of the interview rooms.”

“Oh, bloody hell.” Ellie laughed for the first time that day. “Just don’t throw your back out.”

”I won’t.” Ellie could hear the amusement in Alec’s voice. “I love you.”

Ellie smiled sadly to herself. “I love you, too. Be safe.”  


”Always,” Hardy replied. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”  


”Perfect.” Ellie tried to come across as reassuring. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, yeah?”

They ended their call and Ellie forced herself to concentrate on Fred’s swimming lesson, somewhat grateful she had another day before she had to come clean to Alec.

 

In Paisley, the task at hand was relentless. Hardy, Martin, and Christina watched and rewatched footage, printing off screen captures of anyone using laptops or mobiles. The walls were littered with nameless men and women on mobile devices. Martin stood to stretch and consider the wall while Alec and Christina continued watching the monitors, bleary eyed. As Martin ambled around the room, something caught his eye. He called the others over.

He removed an image of a dark haired man with a bushy beard from the wall, and held it next to an image of a clean-shaven man in glasses. "This first one was taken at Starbucks on the 12th, and this is from Cafe Sun on the 14th." Martin put the images side by side. "Is this the same person?"

Hardy and Christina studied the images. “Bloody hell, you’re right,” Christina replied, looking over the pictures. She turned towards the monitor. “What about the Hodge’s Bistro on the 19th?” The three crowded around Hardy’s monitor as he sped up the footage. After a couple of minutes, Christina pointed at the screen. “There!”

Hardy hit pause as the three stared at the screen. Visible was a clean shaven man in a toque and plaid jacket. Hardy printed the screen capture and put it next to the other images. Despite the changes in appearance, it was obvious that the same man was in all three photographs. Hardy pointed to the device in the man’s hands. “Same mobile,” he observed.

“Work backwards,” Christina ordered, taking a seat in front of her monitor. “Find out when he came in, watch what his movements are.” She picked up the phone receiver on her desk. “Yeah, send Charlie and Kevin up here. We need someone to get to the coffee shops and talk to employees and managers.” She hung up and gleefully clapped her hands together. “We’re getting somewhere, thank Christ.”

 

The next morning, Ellie dragged herself into the office under the weight of nausea and fatigue. She’d spent a good portion of the morning vomiting, albeit grateful for the lack of audience. Ellie staggered to her desk, worn down but determined to make progress in the investigation. She poured through utility records and electoral registers, searching for Shannon Eastman or Shannon Evans. After a fruitless couple of hours and the occasional sick break, Ellie reluctantly accepted that the woman – or perhaps either woman – may have been too much of a transient to leave records. Frustrated, she turned her focus to Richard Chapman, looking for any connection to the Eastman surname. Delving in, it wasn’t long before Ellie came across a records listing that gave her pause. She called over to Karina, sat at her own desk across the room.

“Here’s a mobile record for Richard Chapman from four years back. It lists a Hester Eastman on the same plan,” Ellie said as she searched furiously through public records. The two women scanned the results until a listing caught Ellie’s attention. “Here. Current address. It’s a care home in town.” She looked back at Karina. “Fancy going over there?”

It was a short drive from the constabulary to the care home. Ellie and Karina inquired for Hester Eastman at reception, and were led by a nurse through the too-warm halls to the open door of a resident room. Hester Eastman couldn’t have been older than 70, but sat silently in a tall chair, staring blankly at a wall.

“She suffered a brain aneurism a few years back,” the nurse quietly told the two detectives. “It contributed to early onset dementia.” She shrugged. “You’re free to try to talk to her, but I’m not sure how much she’ll be able to tell you.” Karina and Ellie followed the nurse into the room. “Hester,” the nurse said. Hester turned, bleary-eyed, in her direction. “You have some visitors.”

Ellie smiled at Hester, willing herself to be as non-threatening as possible. “Hi, Hester. I’m Ellie,” she began in a gentle voice before gesturing next to her. “This is Karina. We’re, um, looking for Shannon and Richard.”

Hester continued to look on without any sense of recognition. After a few moments, she replied in a worn voice, “Shannon and Alice are my daughters.”

Ellie couldn’t help but feel a bit hopeful, despite of how unlikely it would be to get much from the conversation. “Yes. We’re looking for Shannon’s son, Richard.”

Hester’s gaze remained unfocused. “Shannon’s boy is Patrick.”

The hope was officially gone. “Hester, do you know Shannon’s boy, Richard?”

“Shannon and Alice are my daughters,” Hester repeated. Ellie exchanged a quick look with Karina, nonverbally agreeing that they may have reached the extent of information they could get from Hester.

“Well, thank you, Hester,” Ellie said with a smile. She stood up with a squeeze to Hester’s hand. Karina waved as they departed the room, following the nurse.

“I’m sorry,” the nurse apologized. Karina shook her head.

“We’re appreciative you let us come in.” Karina hesitated. “She mentioned Alice and Patrick. Have you met them?”

The nurse nodded. “Alice is her emergency contact. She comes in a couple of times a month, usually. I don’t remember any Patricks visiting, though. If you want, I can get you Alice’s phone number.”

Karina perked up. “That would be very helpful, thank you.”

The warmth of the care home was getting to Ellie. She could feel the nausea coming on stronger, and quickly dismissed herself. She arrived in the loo off the care home’s reception just in time to be sick. She washed and dried her face and tidied herself the best she could before joining a surprised looking Karina in the car park. Once back in the car, Karina inquired, “You alright?”

Ellie tried to look convincing. “Yeah, fine.”

Karina gave her a sympathetic smile. “I have two kids, I recognize that look.”

Ellie was caught off guard for a moment. “Oh.” She was unsure of how to respond. “Um, please don’t tell anyone. I haven’t even talked to Alec yet. I just took the test yesterday. I was waiting for him to come back today.”

“Alec? Is he the tall, surly, bloke who was in CID yesterday?”

Ellie nodded in affirmation. “This wasn’t planned, in case you can’t tell.”

“Nah, I get it.” Karina turned on the ignition before turning back to Ellie. “Take it easy, yeah? I can always cover for you, if you need it.”

“Thank you,” Ellie responded with a sad smile. “I appreciate it.”

Back in CID, Karina and Ellie called Alice Eastman’s number, to no response. After leaving her a message, Ellie departed the office to stop in on Linda Evans. With no new information from either side, neither Ellie nor Linda were left feeling particularly optimistic. Ellie picked up Fred from school and headed home with trepidation.

It wasn’t long before Ellie heard a car door close outside. Her heart pounded as she waited at the kitchen table, fussing with a mug of tea. “Hello?” Hardy voice called from the front door.

“In here,” she responded, not standing up. “How did it go?”

“We noticed a man who was present at all three shops when the emails were sent to Richard Chapman and Eric Evans.” Ellie could hear Alec hanging up his coat by the front door. “He made significant changes to his appearance all three times, always paid in cash, and seemingly arrived and left the coffee shops in different directions each time. No ID yet, though.” Hardy entered the kitchen and looked at Ellie. “What’s wrong?” he asked immediately.

Ellie shook her head and tried to smile. “Nothing.”

Alec sat down next to her. “You’re as white as a ghost. What’s happened?” He reached over, gently squeezing her arm.

Ellie took in a deep breath. “I need to tell you, um…” She was unsure how to proceed, and decided on the most direct route. “I’m bloody pregnant. I took the test yesterday, and… failed it, I guess. Or passed it. I don’t know the bloody terminology.” Ellie could feel the tears sting her eyes as she looked over at a stunned Hardy. “Say something, please.”

“Oh,” was all he responded. The quiet in the room seemingly lasted ages as Ellie anxiously waited. Alec scrubbed a hand over his face. “Wow.”

She couldn’t prevent the tears from falling freely. “Oh god, I’m sorry.”

“What?” Hardy looked a bit dazed, but shook his head. “No, love, nothing to be sorry about. It’s… this isn’t a bad thing.” Ellie shook with a sob, covering her mouth. Alec grasped her free hand and gently pulled her closer. “Come here.” He maneuvered Ellie into his lap, enveloping her in a hug. “It’s okay, love. We’ll make this work.” Hardy stroked her hair. “Are you okay with this?”

“I don’t know,” Ellie replied, voice cracking and muffled from her position against his shoulder. The two sat together, embracing in the otherwise silent kitchen, minds racing as quickly as their hearts.


	7. Chapter 7

Hardy’s restless night of sleep came to an end at the sound of Ellie throwing up in the bathroom. He got out of bed and walked in to find Ellie rinsing out her mouth. She looked up at him blearily as he entered the loo. “Shit, I’m sorry. I woke you up,” Ellie mumbled, wiping her face off with a towel. Hardy shook his head.

“No, just wanted to check on you.” Alec opened his arms and Ellie willingly fell against him. They embraced for a long moment in the quiet bathroom. Ellie leaned into Hardy as he buried his face into the top of her head. They were still until Ellie shifted against him.

“I gotta lie down. I feel like crap,” she said, dragging herself back to bed. Hardy followed her, perching on the edge of the bed as Ellie curled up on her side, pulling the sheets back up. 

“You could call in today,” Hardy suggested, reaching over to rub Ellie’s back. She shook her head.

”There’s too much to do. Besides, the morning sickness could last for weeks. Just have to push through.”  


Hardy stretched out next to Ellie. “Did this happen with Tom and Fred?”

“A bit, but not as bad. I was 27 when Tom was born. Everything’s easier in your twenties.” Ellie rolled onto her back and ran her hands over her face. “I still don’t believe this. What a bloody nightmare.”

Hardy didn’t respond. Despite the shock of the pregnancy, the idea of another baby was growing on him. He didn’t feel it was the right moment to interject with his own opinions. “Have you called your GP yet?”

“Oh, we’re pro-doctors now?” Ellie’s fatigue didn’t damper her sarcasm. She lightly poked herself in the abdomen. “I was planning on calling today to ask for a midwife referral. We should probably find out what we’re dealing with.” She let her hand lie flat. Hardy reached over to interlace his fingers with hers before planting a kiss to her forehead.  


The quiet moment was quickly interrupted by Ellie’s mobile, buzzing on the nightstand. With a groan, she reached over Hardy to grab the phone. “Karina,” she observed out loud, lying down against Alec’s chest as she answered. “Hello?” Hardy looked on as Ellie listened to the phone, occasionally responding. After a few minutes, she replied, “Brilliant. I’ll let him know. See you soon.” Ellie hung up and peered at Hardy. “Alice, Hester Eastman’s daughter, phoned in. She’s coming to the station at 8:00.”

 

It wasn’t long before Alice Close was sat nervously at a conference table in CID, mug of tea in her hands. Hardy glanced around the table. They were joined by Ellie, Karina, Martin, and Morrison. He wondered if the large group may have been too intimidating, but didn’t want to risk any connection or detail going unnoticed. Karina made the introductions and started off the interview gently.  


“Alice, would you give us your full name, and tell us a bit about yourself?”

Alice nodded. “I’m Alice Eastman Close. Hester is my mum. I have a sister, Shannon, I haven’t seen nor spoken to in several years. I saw on the news that her son, Richard, is missing. The last time I saw Richard was about two years ago.”

“What can you tell us about Richard?” Hardy asked.

Alice shook her head. “I thought about phoning the police when I first heard the news, but I didn’t really have anything to share. Richard’s dad Henry was a good bloke. He and my sister never married. He was a couple of years younger than Shannon – she was maybe 25 when Richard was born, and he was closer to my age – I was 20 at the time. Their relationship was pretty volatile – Shannon was diagnosed as borderline and bipolar when she was young, and the postpartum depression aggravated everything. They would split quite frequently, and they broke up for good when Richard was only two or three. Henry raised Richard on his own, and I didn’t see much of them during those years. However, Henry had chronic liver disease his whole life. He was on the donor list, and received dialysis, but it progressively got worse. A few years before he died, Henry got back into contact with us, because he was worried about what would happen to Richard if Henry died or couldn’t care for him anymore. My mum stepped in, and let Richard and Henry move in with her for those last few years. Henry died when Richard was 15, and he took it really hard. He became really withdrawn, and he left my mum’s house when he was 17. I’d phone him and he wouldn’t answer. When I’d heard he’d gone missing, I was surprised, but I wasn’t shocked. I mean, he’d always been a good kid. I can’t imagine him getting involved with drugs or anything like that, but he’s seemed to want to disappear for several years, like if he kept pulling himself inward, he wouldn’t exist, you know?”

Ellie nodded. “How about Shannon? When was the last time you saw her?”

Alice sighed. “I haven’t actually seen her in maybe seven years. The last time I spoke to her was shortly after Henry died. I tracked her down – she was living with some bloke near Glasgow – and called her. I figured she should know if the father of her son was dead, yeah? She didn’t seem bothered. I have no idea where she is now. I love my sister, but it’s difficult to be around her sometimes.”

“Tell us about Shannon’s background,” Martin said.

“Like I said, she has borderline personality and suffers from bipolar. It took awhile to get a diagnosis when she was young, and we never nailed down a good treatment plan for her. She’d go to therapy and take medication, but she’d have a good patch and decide she didn’t need help anymore, and everything would start over again. Shannon had her first child when she was 15 –“ Ellie glanced around the room, and noticed everyone else sat up a bit with alert “-with some bloke from school. He didn’t hang around. My mum raised Patrick, her oldest, as well. He had a lot of behavioral issues. I had a feeling he may have inherited a lot of Shannon’s problems. I was ten when Patrick was born, so it was like growing up with a really difficult younger sibling. I left for university when I was eighteen and tried to avoid going home when I could. I feel guilty – I think all the stress my mum went through contributed to her aneurisms and dementia – but Patrick was horrible. He spent a good portion of his teen years getting arrested and in the system before he left for good about 14 years ago. He would have been 16 at the time. Haven’t seen him since.”

“Alice, can you tell us if Shannon was ever married? Did she have any other children?” Morrison inquired.  


“She did have a couple more kids,” Alice replied. “She had moved back around here at some point. Not sure if she was married, but it wouldn’t surprise me. She and mum weren’t speaking, so she never brought her new family round to see anyone. My husband and I were living in Aberdeen at the time, going to school, so I wasn’t around either. Mum was angry because Shannon refused to see Richard, despite knowing that Henry was sick.”

“Do you know anything about Shannon’s kids, or their dad?” Karina asked. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t,” Alice said, shaking her head. "It was hard to keep track of Shannon during that time.”  


”Have you ever met Greg Evans, or his wife Linda?” Karina asked. “How about Eric, Tania, or Annie Evans?”

“No, I don’t think –“ Alice froze mid sentence. “Wait, are you talking about those missing children? Those Evans?” Karina nodded, and Alice covered her mouth in shock. “Wait – are they – is this connected somehow?” Alice seemed panicked. “Oh my god – what has she done?” Alice looked like she was about to be sick. Ellie moved an empty bin closer to Alice’s chair, hoping that neither of them would actually need it. 

“We’re looking for anything they may have in common,” Ellie replied quietly. “Do you think Shannon, Richard, or Patrick might want to track each other or the children down?”

Alice seemed bewildered. “I don’t know. Richard just pushed everyone away. Patrick’s always been so out of control, and Shannon was so indifferent to all her children. I can’t… I just pray that they weren’t pulling something with those kids.”

 

“So Shannon Eastman struggles with mental health issues her whole life, and has her first child at 15,” Ellie summarized. She was wearing a hospital gown, sitting at the edge of an examination bed. Hardy paced around the small patient room as they waited for the midwife. Ellie’s GP had been concerned enough about her call – mid 40’s, unplanned pregnancy, unsure of how far gone she was - that he arranged for her to be seen later the same day. Alice Close left the constabulary shaken by the information she’d received, but had promised to return with family photographs in an effort to help the investigation along. As they waited, Ellie and Hardy discussed the revelations of the interview. “Her mother raises Patrick, and Shannon eventually ends up with Henry Chapman. They begin a relationship, and Richard is born. Shannon leaves, Henry raises Richard until his death.” Ellie scratched at the gauze taped over the blood draw site on her arm. “Richard and Patrick wouldn’t have been in Hester’s house at the same time.”

“Shannon leaves Henry and Richard and meets Greg Evans,” Hardy continued Ellie’s timeline where she left off. “They marry and have Eric and Tania.” He paused. “Presumably at this point. We don’t know definitely if Shannon Eastman and Shannon Evans are one and the same.”

“It looks pretty bloody likely,” Ellie shrugged, fussing with the edge of the hospital gown. “Shannon and Greg Evans have a difficult relationships. They split up, and Shannon leaves. There’s little contact between her and everyone else up until this point, except she possibly lived in Belfast or Glasgow. Patrick all but disappears, Richard withdraws, Hester suffers ill health and can’t provide us with information. Now it’s possible all of Shannon’s four children are missing, and could potentially be together.”

“With little Annie Evans to boot,” Hardy responded, crossing his arms and sighing. “But why? The only thing they have in common is their biological mother. It doesn’t make any sense to have some sort of – what? Covert family reunion? If they wanted to meet, why not just contact Linda Evans and do it properly?” Hardy didn’t have much more time to think out loud as the midwife entered.

They made their introductions and the midwife took Ellie’s medical history. She recounted her previous pregnancies and irregular cycle. “I’ve had cramping and bleeding on and off for the last couple of months,” she said with a shrug. “But sometimes that’s just what my periods are like. I didn’t really suspect until I started getting sick and fatigued.”

“I’ll give you a scan today, so we can get a clear picture of where you’re at,” replied the midwife. “We’ll probably have to go transvaginally, but it will tell us how far along you are, or show us if there are any pressing issues.” 

Hardy stayed quiet through the questions and exam. The last few days had been a series of events that had pulled his concentration back and forth. The surprise of Ellie’s pregnancy had been momentarily overtaken by Alice Close’s interview, and now, listening to the midwife’s questions, he was back to concern for Ellie and the baby. Hardy knew she was less than thrilled about being pregnant, and he didn’t want to add to her stress by expressing any excitement.

The midwife tinkered with the ultrasound before inserting the probe. She made some adjustments to the monitor, squinting at the screen. “Here we are. There’s the heartbeat –“ she pointed to a flicker on the screen. “Right there’s the yoke sac. There’s the head. You’re measuring about seven weeks, two days.” The midwife continued to take measurements and type up notes as Ellie and Hardy watched the monitor, trying to discern what they could from the muddled image. Despite the sickness and the exhaustion, Ellie felt a bit more at peace now that she had more information.

 

Ellie and Hardy arrived back at the constabulary to find Alice Close waiting at reception, a large envelope in her hands. “I went through the old picture boxes, and pulled out what I had.” The team reassembled in the conference room as Alice spread the pictures out on the table.  


“This is Shannon,” she said, pushing out a picture of an unsmiling blonde woman standing in a small group, beer in hand. The picture had the distinct graininess of developed film, and the digital time stamp bore a date eighteen years earlier. “I’m not even sure who these other people are. They might have been friends of Henry’s. I think this was taken at a barbeque.” She continued to take out photos. “This is Richard as a baby. That’s my mum holding him.” Alice flipped through images. “Here’s Richard and Henry. This is Patrick. He was maybe ten or eleven in this picture.” Ellie’s heart skipped a beat. Patrick was the spitting image of Eric Evans. Ellie picked up the photograph.

“Do you have any more recent pictures of Patrick?” she asked.

Alice flipped through the stack, shaking her head. “Not many. He was probably fifteen on sixteen in this one,” she said, passing it to Ellie. Ellie looked it over before handing it to Hardy. He tried not to react before giving the picture to Martin, but he could see from the other man’s face that they both had the same thought. Young Patrick Eastman bore a remarkable resemblance to the man in the Paisley coffee shops. Alice sorted through a few more photos before the interview ended. Hardy and Ellie accompanied her out, before Alice stopped dead in her tracks. Once Alec and Ellie saw what had stopped her, they froze, too.

Standing in reception was Shannon Eastman.


	8. Chapter 8

Reception was quiet as Alice Close gaped at her estranged sister. The officers stood back, tensely watching the situation. Alice stepped towards Shannon, stunned. “Shannon,” Alice breathed out. “Bloody hell.” Shannon shifted uncomfortably, pulling her coat tightly around her body and adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. Ellie silently assessed Shannon. She was very pretty, but her over-processed hair and heavy eye makeup aged her. Shannon seemed self-conscious, but otherwise didn’t show outward emotion. No one spoke until Alice continued. “What are you doing here?”

“I saw the news,” Shannon replied slowly. “I wanted to see if the police knew what happened to the kids.”

Alice shook her head in disbelief. “It’s been bloody days. How are you only coming in now? Do you know something?” 

Alice moved towards Shannon. With emotions starting to run high, Hardy stepped towards Alice and lightly grabbed her arm. Martin intercepted between the two women, facing Shannon. “I’m Martin MacArthur. I’m a detective inspector here. Can you give us your name, please?”

Shannon sighed. “Shannon Evans. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Martin nodded. “This is DS Jefferson,” he said, gesturing towards Karina. “Would you be willing to talk to us, Ms. Evans?”

“That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?” Shannon retorted. Martin forced a smile.

“Follow us, please.” Martin started down the hall, trailed by Karina and Shannon, leaving Hardy, Ellie, and Morrison in reception with a bewildered Alice. She shook her head.

“I can’t fucking believe this,” Alice said. “She just shows up despite knowing her kids are missing like she’s walking into the shops. She doesn’t bloody care, does she?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Close,” Hardy responded. “We appreciate the help, and we’ll be in touch.” Alice headed out the front door, a disbelieving expression on her face. Morrison signaled a uniformed officer from behind the desk.

“Watch her leave, make sure she gets in her car, yeah?” Morrison asked the officer. “Last thing we need is Alice Close waiting to jump her sister in the car park.”

The officer nodded and headed out the door as Hardy, Morrison, and Ellie walked briskly to an audiovisual room. They pulled up the CCTV footage of Shannon Evan’s interview. Shannon was mid sentence, with Karina and Martin listening intently.

“...I’m living in Carlisle now,” said Shannon, shifting on her seat. “My boyfriend, Adam, and I got a flat about seven months ago. I’m working on the till at Gregg's.”

“What does Adam do?” Karina inquired.

“He does maintenance on buses,” Shannon replied. 

“How long have you two been together?”

“About a year,” Shannon said. “He’s a good guy.”

“Has he met any of your children?” Martin asked.

“No.” Shannon shook her head. “I don’t have any relationship with them.” 

“When’s the last time you saw your kids?” Karina leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.

Shannon sighed. “Not since they were wee.”

Martin leaned forward. “Do you know where they are know?”

Shannon’s glare was apparent through the monitor. “No, I don’t know and that’s why I’m here today. I wanted to see if your lot knew something that wasn’t in the papers.” 

Karina scoffed. “It’s been in the papers for days. Richard’s been missing over a week. Why not contact us sooner?”

“I didn’t know what to say. I don’t know anything about what’s happened.”

Morrison glanced over at Ellie, seated next to him, and back towards Hardy, standing behind them. “Do you believe her?” Morrison asked the pair. Both shook their heads in uncertainty.

“Look... I’m not a monster, okay? I love my kids, but they weren’t better off with me in their lives. Henry, my mum, Greg and his wife... they were better parents than me. They could give the kids something I couldn’t. I’ve made a ton of mistakes, but I knew it was better for all four of them to grow up in a more stable environment than I could provide. I’ve been in and out of hospitals for years. I’ve been arrested several times... I want to be a good mum, but I don’t think it’s possible.”

Both detectives were quiet for a long moment before Martin continued. “Shannon, where were you the evening of the 7th?”

Shannon shrugged. “At work, I think?”

“What about the 10th?”

“That was Monday, right? At home most of the day. I’m usually off on Mondays.”

“Can anyone else verify this?”

“Um, Adam worked on Monday but my manger was at Gregg’s last Friday. You can talk to her.”

“We’ll need both of their details,” Karina responded.

“Fine,” Shannon replied with a shrug. Ellie, Morrison, and Hardy watched from the monitor as the other three vacated the interview room. Morrison swiveled in his chair to face Ellie and Hardy.

“We need to verify her alibi for Monday. She could have worked to her heart’s content on Friday and still have been involved. Richard would have been perfectly capable of leaving on his own. She could have easily driven from Carlisle to here and back in two hours while her boyfriend was at work and managed to take the younger kids to England with time to spare.” The three looked at the door as it opened. Martin and Karina stepped inside as Hardy shuffled back to make more space in the small room.

“Do we have grounds for a warrant to search her flat?” Karina asked the group.

Hardy shook his head. “Unless there’s some compelling evidence for her involvement, or her alibi flags up, not yet.” He sighed. “I’m going to phone the precinct in Carlisle, get them to monitor her neighborhood. I also want that boyfriend interviewed.”

“What’s her motive, though?" Karina crossed her arms and leaned back towards the wall. “She’s actively avoided her kids for most of their lives. Why now? And why involve Richard and Patrick? They’re adults, she could have just rang them and talked to them if they answered, tried again if they didn’t.”

“What’s your impression of the relationship between Linda and Shannon?” Martin asked Ellie.

Ellie shrugged. “From what Linda said, they’d never met.” She sighed, and leaned forward on her elbows. “I’ll ask when I’m over there. We need to fill her in on these recent developments.”

 

Hardy winced and leaned back to avoid the fine spray of chlorinated water droplets originating from Fred’s hair as the lad animatedly narrated the drawing he’d scribbled on the back of a restaurant placemat. Hardy marveled at Fred’s energy supply – he could spend the day at school, 90 minutes in the pool, and still have enthusiasm to burn. Hardy tried to keep up with Fred’s narrative while coaxing him to eat some of the spaghetti on his plate. Ellie had abruptly excused herself earlier, as soon as their food had arrived. Maybe Italian hadn’t been the best choice, Hardy surmised as he took a few bites of his chopped salad. He glanced up to see Ellie returning. She sat with a sigh, running her hands through Fred’s hair before wiping the residual pool water from her hands onto a cloth napkin. 

“You alright?” Hardy inquired.

Ellie took a sip of water and grimaced. “I can smell everything,” she replied. She picked at her pasta. “A couple of weeks ago I would have already finished this and started on yours.” Hardy snorted in response. Ellie pushed the pasta around a bit more in silence before continuing. “I keep thinking about Shannon Evans. I mean, she must care about her kids if she drove up here from Carlisle.” Ellie paused. “She could have just as easily stayed away. We weren’t having any luck finding her.” Ellie chopped up some noodles with the broad side of her fork. “Maybe we should call Tom and Daisy tonight.”

Hardy raised his eyebrows. “Guilty conscience?”

Ellie couldn’t help but snicker. “A bit. Thanks for noticing. Let’s not mention…” She raised her brows. Hardy nodded in response. “Just for full disclosure - Karina knows. She figured it out.” Ellie turned towards Fred. “What do you say, Fred, should we go home and call Tom and Daisy?”

“Yes!” Fred nodded vigorously. “Let’s FaceTime them.”

“FaceTime?” Hardy mused with humor. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“I’ll show you! It’s easy!”

“First, let’s stand you under the hand dryer, mate. You’re gonna freeze with all that wet hair if you go outside.” Ellie couldn’t help but smile as she paid the bill while watching Alec and Fred walk towards the loo together. It reassured her to know he was a good father – both in the present, and for the future. 

 

A couple of hours and two FaceTime conversations later – with both Daisy and Tom trying their best to surreptitiously mask that they were out at their respective local pubs on a weeknight – Hardy finished putting Fred down for the night and quietly walked into his own bedroom. The light was on, but Ellie was already fast asleep. Although not tired himself, he planted a quick kiss to her forehead before readying himself for bed.

Hardy awoke the next morning to telltale retching from the ensuite and his mobile buzzing against the nightstand. Still groggy, he weighed his options and decided on the phone. “What?” he mumbled, trying to peer into the loo from his position in bed.

“Sir,” Morrison’s voice came through the opposite end. “Just received a call from the constabulary in Carlisle. Neither of Shannon Evan’s alibis check out. She had a shift at Gregg’s on Friday, but it ended at noon. The boyfriend didn’t go to work Monday, either, and neither of them could provide any additional alibis.” Ellie’s sputtered from the bathroom, coughing and gagging. Morrison paused on the other end of the line. “Are you outdoors?”

Hardy ignored the comment and tried to redirect. “What does that mean for the Carlisle police? Are they bringing Shannon and her boyfriend in?”

“No,” replied Morrison. “There isn’t sufficient reason to arrest either of them, but it is grounds for a warrant. The local constabulary is going to search the flat this morning. I’m driving down there now.”

“Good. Well, keep me posted.” Hardy hung up and stood to join Ellie. He couldn’t shake the trepidation from Morrison’s call. Was Shannon Evans capable of doing harm to her children?


	9. Chapter 9

“Wait, just – wait a minute.” Linda Evans pinched the bridge of her nose as she squeezed her eyes shut. She shook her head disbelievingly. “You’re telling me that Richard Chapman is the half brother of my oldest children? And they’re all possibly together, with Shannon’s other child?”

Ellie nodded. She and Karina were sat in Linda’s kitchen. As the three women talked around Linda’s kitchen table, Ellie’s heart broke as she watched Linda struggle to remain composed, chest heaving under the will to control her breathing.

“We needed to confirm that Richard and Shannon were related before we could come to you with this information,” Karina said gently.

“What about – what’s his name? Patrick? Where is he right now?” Linda continued to shake her head. Ellie wondered if she realized what she was doing.

“Yes, Patrick Eastman. Finding his information is a top priority at the moment,” Karina replied.

Linda gazed off into space, trembling. “I feel like I’m falling apart,” she said softly. “I don’t want to lose hope, but I am.” Tears left tracks down her cheeks. “Oh god – I want my kids back. I need them back.” As Linda sank into her arms and sobbed against the kitchen table, all Ellie could do was pray for some kind of result.

 

Across town, at his desk, Hardy was beginning to lose his own hope. Searching registrations and records for Patrick Eastman was coming up empty. He was as transient as his mother, Hardy thought grimly, standing up and stretching. Wandering over to a portable bulletin board covered with pinned documents, Hardy studied the image of a teenaged Patrick next to screen captures from the Paisley coffee shop security cameras. Without a driving license or a passport bearing a recent image, all they could do is speculate that Patrick had contacted Richard and Eric before their disappearances. Hardy made a mental note to show Shannon and Alice the coffee shop images as his office phone rang.

“Not great news,” Morrison sighed. Hardy could hear faint chatter of officers in the background of the call. “A cursory search of Shannon Evans’ flat turned up nothing indicating the kids or Richard were here. SOCO are still looking, but nothing’s flagging up. However,” he continued. “Adam and Shannon have been arrested for possession. A wrap of heroin was found in their bathroom.”

“Oh, bloody hell,” Hardy groaned, removing his glasses. He internally cursed the development. The presence of drugs wouldn’t make it more likely that either Shannon or Adam were involved in the disappearances – quite the opposite. Could two inebriated people execute a successful kidnapping? If they were looking for money, wouldn’t they have made a ransom demand by now? And what would possess Shannon to willingly come to the police? Still, Hardy pressed on.

“Talk to the local constabulary. Try to sit in on their interviews, and push them for their whereabouts on Friday and Monday. Get printouts of the coffee shop bloke as well, show them to Shannon. Let’s see if she can give us a positive ID.”

Morrison responded in affirmation before they ended the conversation. Staring back at the photographs, he decided to call once more on Alice Close. Between her and Shannon, he surmised, one of them could possibly identify the man from the coffee shops.

 

Ellie drove back to the constabulary, feeling as defeated as she was fatigued and queasy. She and Karina had once again left a distraught Linda behind. The events surrounding the disappearance of the Evans children may have been solidifying, but they still didn’t have any clear answers – let alone the Evans kids themselves. On the drive over, Hardy had called to fill Ellie and Karina in on the events of the morning. As Ellie pulled into the car park, she wasn’t surprised to see Alice Close leaving the constabulary, with Hardy behind her. He raised a hand in greeting as he spotted Ellie’s car, lightly jogging over. Karina rolled down her window to let Hardy peer in.

“Alice tentatively identified the man in the Paisley coffee shops as Patrick Eastman, but she said she couldn’t be certain.” Hardy sighed, right hand leaning against the car. “I asked Morrison to show the pictures to Shannon Evans – same thing. Wasn’t sure. Neither have seen Patrick since he was quite a bit younger.”

Karina and Ellie shared a disappointed glance. “How about Shannon and her boyfriend? Did they come up with any alibis?”

Hardy shook his head. “Adam is insistent he doesn’t use heroin, but admitted he deals. Said he made some sales both days. Shannon claims she’s been in a depressive episode for the past month or so, and spent several days in bed after her Friday morning shift at Gregg’s. There’s a warrant for a drug test on both. Logical explanations of their whereabouts during the disappearances, but neither is verifiable.” Hardy let go of the car to pace a bit, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “Bloody hell. We’ve got potential areas of interest spanning over one hundred miles and no real motivation to explain any of this shite. Patrick Eastman barely bloody exists but may go for the occasional coffee or kidnap someone else’s children.” Hardy looked up at the sky, hands ridged in the air. “For god’s sake!” he snapped, loud enough to draw the curiosity of a few passers-by on the street. Karina undid her seat belt and opened the car door.

“Well, let’s regroup. Patrick Eastman may have been the man in the coffee shop, so we go back there. Question staff, hunt down any regulars, see if anyone recognizes him or knows him as something other than Patrick Eastman.” Standing up, she lightly thumped Hardy on the shoulder. “Relax, tall bloke.” Ellie stifled a laugh as Karina stalked off towards the precinct. Hardy was momentarily caught off guard before taking Karina’s place inside Ellie’s car. After a quick glance around the car park, he leaned over and planted a kiss on Ellie. She reciprocated deeply, enjoying the moment. Hardy reached over to stroke her ponytail. As the kiss ended, his hand remained on the back of her head. Their foreheads pressed together briefly, before they separated.

“They’re probably watching us on camera from inside as we speak,” Ellie commented with a snicker.

“I don’t care,” Hardy replied, settling back against the passenger seat. “How was Linda?”

“The same,” Ellie shrugged. “She’s having a hard time wrapping her head around Richard Chapman and Patrick Eastman. I don’t blame her.” She looked towards Hardy. “Nothing flagged up in Shannon’s flat?”

“Nothing,” Hardy sighed. “Nothing in their home or cars indicate Richard or the kids were ever there.”

Both were silent for a moment, lost in their own thoughts before Ellie continued. “Karina has a point. We can focus on Paisley for now, see if we can’t find out more about Patrick.” She glanced over at Hardy. “What if Linda Evans made an appeal in the media?”

Hardy raised his brow in consideration. “Do you think she’d be agreeable?”

“Possibly,” Ellie replied. “It might pique public interest, get more people looking around.”

“I’ll talk to the media officer.” Ellie didn’t respond. Hardy looked over to see her gripping the steering wheel, taking in a deep breath. “You alright?”

Ellie quickly undid her seat belt and exited the car. Hardy turned to see her duck behind the car before getting sick. He was momentarily unsure if he should exit the car and join her for moral support or give her space before Ellie staggered back. She climbed in with a groan. “Oh, bloody hell. If anyone asks I’m saying that was you, not me.” Hardy reached around Ellie’s shoulder and pulled her towards him as she took in a few regulating breaths. “Christ. I still can’t believe this is actually happening,” she muttered as Hardy planted a kiss on top of her head. She looked up at him blearily. “You realize we could easily be grandparents in the next few years, right?”

Hardy snorted. “Don’t say that. We’re still in the shoddy contraception period of our lives.” Ellie laughed from her position against his shoulder as Hardy stroked her arm. Both had plenty of work to do, but neither moved to leave the quiet of the car.

 

Four frustrating days passed with no good leads. Nothing relevant from Paisley came through, nor any new information about Patrick Eastman. Ellie had yet to convince Linda Evans to make a public appeal on camera. The collective morale was fading with each passing day as no progress was made in locating the missing persons. Hardy arrived home late that night, as Morrison filled him in over the phone on the latest setback.

“…Both drug tests came back negative. They may have been in possession, but Shannon and Adam are both clean. He’s being charged with distribution, but they released Shannon earlier.”

“Christ,” Hardy muttered into his mobile, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Ellie poked her head out from the upstairs hall, looking down at Hardy with curiosity.

“The CID in Carlisle is keeping Shannon under surveillance. Who knows – maybe she’ll lead us somewhere.”

“Well, that’s a start,” replied Hardy as Ellie made her ways down the stairs. He ended the call and looked up at Ellie wearily. “Shannon and Adam tested clean for drugs. He’s in custody, but she’s been released with police surveillance.”

Ellie stopped on the last step, face to face with Hardy. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Talking of Shannon,” she began. “I was wondering if – well, only if Linda is agreeable, which might be a long shot – but what if they were to make a public appeal together? If Richard or Patrick were to see Shannon in the news, they may be more impacted than if it were just Linda on her own.”

Hardy considered this as he wrapped his arms around Ellie’s waist. “It’s a possibility. Would it scare Linda further off if Shannon was involved?” He leaned against Ellie’s clavicle as she embraced him.

“I don’t know. I’ll broach it with her.”

“Have they even been in contact?” Hardy’s voice was muffled.

“Not according to Linda.”

They held each other in silence a moment longer before Hardy spoke. “Where’s Fred?”

“Asleep,” Ellie replied. “We had takeaway earlier. There’s leftovers in the fridge if you want it.”

“How’re you feeling?”

“Surprisingly human,” she responded. “Haven’t wanted to throw up for a couple hours now.” Ellie gently pushed Hardy away so she could look at him. “Seems like an opportunity. Shouldn’t pass it up.” She leaned in, and Hardy met her halfway. They savored the kiss for a long moment before picking up speed, their gentle movements becoming more frenetic. Ellie pushed off Hardy’s heavy wool coat and pulled his tie loose as he unbuttoned her blouse. Hardy moved his mouth to the tops of her breasts as he ran his hands over the bare skin of her abdomen. Ellie gasped as his hands moved up over her bra. Her breasts were tender and significantly swollen, but their typical discomfort throughout the day had made way to sensation that nearly pushed her over the edge. “Oh, Christ. Not here,” she breathed out. “Either Fred will wake up or the neighbors will look in.”

Hardy wordlessly led her by the hand into the dark front room, where he fell backwards onto the couch, pulling Ellie on top of him as she tried not to yelp out in surprise. They resumed their snogging as Ellie undid Hardy’s buttons, opening his shirt and touching his bare chest. They made their way out of their trousers and tossed them to the side. Alec sat up, grabbing Ellie by the hips as she maneuvered her way onto him. She moved purposefully, pushing herself down as deeply as she could. Hardy kissed her as he pushed off her open blouse and worked on the clasp of her bra. Discarding it with the rest of their clothing, he resumed running his hands and mouth over her chest and stomach, covering as much area as he could. Ellie, grasping the back of his head, didn’t last long. She covered her own mouth with her hand to avoid too much noise as she came. After her hand dropped, Hardy moved his hand up to gently trace her nipples as his lips went up to hers. As he kissed her, he finished, gasping into her mouth. Both stayed still for a moment, slightly stunned but satisfied. Finally, Ellie made her way to lie down on the couch, guiding Hardy down to join her. He curled up beside her, head leaning against her chest as she wrapped her arms around him. Hardy let his hand rest on her belly as he allowed his breath to regulate. Closing her eyes, Ellie momentarily forgot about the numerous pressures in life – the missing persons, the unplanned baby, a frustrating divorce, the-day to-day anxieties over the kids – and allowed herself to enjoy the moment of peace and solidarity with Alec.


	10. Chapter 10

As she sat in her car outside Linda Evan’s house, Ellie ran her hands over her face and sighed. It had taken two weeks to convince Linda to join Shannon Evans in making a public appeal for information on their children. With no new leads emerging, and virtual dead ends everywhere they looked, everyone involved felt desperation creeping in. It had been a hard sell trying to convince Linda to both meet with Shannon and sit down in front of the media, but Ellie suspected that, the longer time dragged, the more Linda was fueled by fear. Ellie couldn’t blame her. No one in CID felt any more optimistic as time went on.

Ellie glanced at her smart watch and peered over at Linda’s front door. She was there to drive Linda to the media briefing, but Linda had yet to emerge after Ellie had called several minutes prior. Ellie fiddled with her watch. It was a gift from Alec for her birthday a few months earlier. She had to smile as looked over the watch. It was very much like Hardy to present her with something he wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to use himself. Ellie once again checked the time. Seventeen minutes had past. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and wondered to herself how she could have been sick enough in the past few weeks to lose half a stone but still bloated and swollen enough to make most of her work clothing irritating. Ellie closed her eyes and willed the next couple of weeks to move quickly. She prayed that the nausea and fatigue of the first trimester would soon pass and she could finally justify wearing maternity trousers. Ellie was about to step out of the car and knock on the front door when Linda Evans finally emerged.

As Linda opened the passenger door, Ellie tried her best to smile reassuringly. “All right?” she inquired as Linda nervously entered.

Linda sighed. “I really don’t know about this. Do you think it will help?”

Ellie nodded. “I think so. This has the potential to reach a lot of people and help jog their memories.” Ellie didn’t mention to Linda was that both CIDs hoped that the appeal would resonate the most with Richard Chapman and Patrick Eastman, and potentially move them to amend the situation. Everyone was aware that the briefing could have the opposite effect, and make either man desperate enough to pull something. However, time and options were running out.

 

”Good news!” Morrison announced, strolling into Hardy’s office. “IT was finally able to gain access to Richard Chapman’s mobile.”

Although Hardy was wearing his coat and leaving for the media briefing, he immediately stopped to accept the file of printouts from Morrison. Morrison gestured to the pages as Hardy flipped through. “We’re operating under the assumption that the Reuben Brown email account may belong to Patrick Eastman. They originated from the Paisley coffee shop IP addresses. There are texts from the same number who called Richard at work the day he disappeared.”

Hardy studied the emails and texts. The messages were maddeningly cryptic. “I’ll ring you later. Found a good place to stay. Laurel Avenue.” Hardy read the emails out loud as he flipped through the pages. He sighed. “Christ, Richard, don’t give too much away.” Richard didn’t often reply to the emails, but his responses were equally vague.

Morrison looked up at Hardy wearily. “I have to hand it to them both – they were careful about what they put in writing.”

“Laurel Avenue – is this local?” Hardy inquired.

“There is a Laurel Avenue in town,” replied Morrison. “There’s also another couple dozen in the country.”

Hardy sighed. “Well, start close. Let’s treat Reuben Brown as a potential alias. See if the name is attached to any public records or work history.”

Morrison nodded as Hardy made his way out of the office.

 

The media briefing was clouded by a grim atmosphere. Hardy sat in front of clicking cameras, fielding questions from reporters as Linda and Shannon sat uncomfortably next to him. Ellie stood in the back of the room, studying both women as Hardy spoke. Linda’s eyes were red rimmed, while Shannon’s demeanor seemed more resigned. After Hardy’s briefing, the media attention turned towards the two mothers as they hesitantly made their own statements.

“Tania, Annie, Eric... if you lot can hear me, know that I love you so, so much.” Linda’s words were punctuated with sobs. “We’re doing everything we can to find you, my loves. You’ll be home soon, I promise.” She took in shaky breaths. “If anyone out there knows anything, I’m begging you, please come forward. If you’ve seen or heard anything, please, please ring the police. I just - I need my children back.” Linda’s words came out barely more than a whisper.

Shannon shifted self-consciously in her seat. “Richard, Patrick...” She began slowly. “I know I wasn’t the mother you needed, and I’m sorry for that. If you could just contact us, let us know where you are... everything is forgivable. It’s time to move forward. Please, just ring me or the police so we know you’re safe. If you know where those kids are, you need to tell us.”

Hardy ended the conference before reporters could question the mothers. As uniform escorted Shannon and Linda out of the room, Hardy pushed his way through the crowd and back towards Ellie. Greeting her with a gentle squeeze to her shoulder, he barely had time to fill her in on the emails before they saw Morrison jog up. “We’ve got a lead on Laurel Avenue,” he told Hardy and Ellie.

 

Back in CID, Morrison pulled up footage as Hardy and Ellie joined him around his computer. “This is CCTV footage from outside a chippy on Laurel Avenue,” he explained, typing. “It’s from the day the children disappeared, two hours after they were seen leaving school.”

Ellie and Hardy watched some unremarkable street traffic a few moments before a girl could be seen across the street, peering out from an alley. Ellie took in a breath. It was Tania Evans. The girl once again ducked out of sight before Morrison sped up the footage. Several minutes later, a beat up green Nissan pulled to the curb, driving away from the camera’s line of sight. Ellie, Hardy, and Morrison watched as the three Evans children hurriedly exited the alleyway and climbed into the Nissan before it drove off.

In his excitement, Hardy momentarily forgot himself, running his hand across Ellie’s back before placing it back on his own hip. “Outstanding!” he exclaimed. “Do we have details on that car’s registration?”

Morrison nodded. “Yes, but it doesn’t belong to a Nissan. It’s off a Dongfeng lorry. The owner lives on a farm near Stirling. Likely the plates were nicked from a different vehicle. We’ve notified the local constabulary, and they’re heading there now.”

Ellie continued to flip through the CCTV footage. “This area - how far is it from the school?” she inquired.

”About four miles,” Morrison responded.

“Two hours would have been adequate time for the kids to walk four miles to a designated meeting place whilst cutting through alleyways and staying out of sight,” Ellie mused. “Richard Chapman may very well been the driver, if he was acting on instructions from those emails.” She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. “Bloody hell. Richard, Patrick, and the two older children were all in on this, weren’t they?” Ellie felt her mobile buzz in her jacket pocket. She fished it out and checked the screen. Karina.

“Just received a call from a constabulary in Moffat,” Karina said excitedly. “A bloke came in because he recognized the picture of Patrick Evans, but knows him as Simon. Fancy driving up there with me?”

Ellie finished the call and filled in Morrison and Hardy. The collective mood was swinging from unoptimistic to hopeful.

 

It didn’t take too long for Karina and Ellie to arrive in Moffat. There they met Tristan, a lanky, rugged man in his thirties. From his calloused hands and muddy work boots, Ellie suspected he performed manual labour.

“Tristan, how do you know this Simon?” Karina inquired, leaning forward on the conference table.

“We were both doing seasonal work at a farm about two miles from here last spring,” Tristan replied. “There were several of us working there for about six weeks.”

“What can you tell us about Simon?” Ellie asked.

Tristan shrugged. “I didn’t know him very well, but we got on well enough. Occasionally the lads would go to the pub after work. The group would just discuss, you know, normal stuff. Families, sport, politics sometimes.”

“Do you know Simon’s surname?” asked Karina.

Tristan hesitated. “That’s the weird thing, you see. I thought it was Klein, but once, I heard him introduce himself as Simon Crane. I thought it was strange at the time, but I just assumed I’d misheard him. But then I saw the pictures of him on telly, and he’s called Patrick…” Tristan shook his head. “It doesn’t add up.”

“Did he have a significant other? Do you know what he did outside of work?”

Tristan shook his head. “Never mentioned anything I can remember.” Tristan paused for a moment, thinking. “I always got the impression… he seemed to have an attitude about women. He’d talk down to waitresses, make degrading remarks about women he saw in the pub. My wife only met him once, and I remember her being fairly repulsed.”  
Ellie was curious. “What were these remarks like? Was he trying it on with these women?”

“No,” Tristan replied. “It was more distain than lust. Like he genuinely didn’t like women.”

 

Within the day, Patrick Eastman’s pictures and aliases were splashed large in the media, along with an appeal for information about the origins of the green Nissan. The stolen vehicle registration plates were tracked down to an infrequently used lorry on a farm outside of Stirling – and a search of the area revealed that several other plates had been nicked from other vehicles on the property. With the registration numbers shared with precincts across the country, all Hardy could do was hope they were finally making headway with the investigation. That evening, sat in their kitchen, he forced himself to concentrate on Fred, who was retelling the day’s events in the schoolyard while simultaneously gesturing with an egg roll from their Chinese takeaway. Hardy nodded as Fred relayed an animated summary of a football match, brushing away the bits of bean curd and cabbage that remerged from the roll and landed on his shirt as Fred moved expressively. Only Hardy’s mobile, buzzing with a text from Daisy, was enough to capture Fred’s attention. Although Daisy messaged her father to check in after seeing the media briefing, Fred quickly commandeered the conversation and was soon sharing a rapid fire of emojis and selfies with Daisy. Hardy cleaned up their dinner as he heard a car pull up. Glancing out the window into the evening dusk, he saw Ellie in her dark car, talking into her mobile. He returned to the kitchen to finish the dishes, noting that Ellie still hadn’t emerged after several minutes. Curious, he stuck his head out the front door, watching her on the phone looking frustrated. She noticed his glance and raised a hand in acknowledgement. Hardy stepped out into the chilly air, closing the door behind him, as she finished the call and exited the car.

“All right?” he inquired as Ellie dragged herself up to the front door, looking defeated. “Who were you taking to?”

Ellie sighed. “The first call was from my solicitor, to update me on the lack of progress with Joe. Then the midwife rang. Apparently she’s referred me to a bloody obstetrician because of my age, and they want me to come in for a whole slew of tests, including an amniocentesis.” Ellie shook her head and rubbed her temples. “Christ. I don’t bloody need this. I am so tired of being attached to that man. How long can this fucking divorce last? Am I going to need a court order to put your name on the birth certificate instead of Joe’s?” In the dim light, Hardy could see Ellie’s lips pursed, reactionary tears forming in her eyes. She crossed her arms. “The midwife has a bloody point. We never thought this through. This baby could have god knows how many issues because of our ages. I’m so fucking sick of feeling half dead all the time.” Ellie wiped away a few errant tears from her cheeks. “I have no time for Fred as it is. Someday soon he’s going to realize that I’m a shit mother.” Hardy tried to reach for Ellie, but she stepped back. “This is a huge mistake. I don’t want this baby.”

Hardy was stunned by the admission. “You… you don’t really mean that, do you?”

The exhaustion from both the pregnancy and the case, and the fear over the future’s many unknown elements, pulled Ellie down. She couldn’t prevent the sobs anymore. “I can’t take this. I can’t have it.”

Hardy didn’t know how to respond. He felt as if the floor had been ripped out from under him. The pregnancy had come as a definite shock, but as time went on, Hardy was feeling more excited about welcoming a baby. He shook his head. “How can you say that?” he asked. “We’re in this together.”

Ellie brushed away tears as she shot him daggers. “Like hell we are. Are you the one getting sick throughout the day? Are you going to give up months or years of your life to raise this fucking kid? Are you going to damage your body and push your career off track? Of course you bloody aren’t, but I’ll have to, because why? You like the idea of a baby?” Ellie was shouting her retorts at this point. “Christ, we might as well hand it off to Fred’s mates’ parents, because they spend more time with my son than I do!”

Hardy opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the front door opening. Fred cautiously poked his head out, Hardy’s mobile in his hand. “Alec, someone’s calling.” Fred glanced over at Ellie, who tried to turn her face out of view.

Hardy tried to smile. “Thanks, mate. Go on inside.” He touched the top of Fred’s head affectionately as the boy disappeared back inside the house. Ellie turned away from Hardy, pacing a few steps down the walkway. Hardy watched her as he put the mobile to his ear. “Yes?”

“It’s Morrison, sir. A call just came in from a constabulary in Queensferry. They’ve recovered the green Nissan.” Morrison hesitated. “They said there’s a body inside.”


	11. Chapter 11

Driving through the darkness, Hardy stole a quick peak at Ellie. She stared out the passenger side window at the barely legible scenery surrounding the road. After Morrison’s call, Ellie packed an overnight bag for Fred while Hardy hastily arranged a sleepover at a schoolmate’s house. Beyond that, the two had barely spoken since Morrison phoned.

It was a couple of hours before they pulled into the car park of the constabulary in Queensferry. Removing the key from the ignition, Hardy turned to Ellie. She continued to look away as Hardy reached over to stroke her shoulder. “No matter what happens...” he began before pausing. “You know I love you, right?” He squeezed her arm gently. Ellie turned her head as if about to speak. Hesitating, she instead opened the door and exited the car silently. Dragged down with defeat, Hardy followed.

Inside, Morrison and Martin were talking to local officers. They approached Ellie and Hardy as the two entered the station. “A business owner noticed a green Nissan that was sat in a car park close to his shop for several hours,” Martin filled them in. “He called the police after seeing its description on the news. The body was found under a tarp in the backseat.”

Martin removed several photographs from an envelope and handed them to Hardy and Ellie. Laid out on a coroner’s table was the unmistakable face of Richard Chapman, skin pale and flecked with scratches and bruises. Hardy’s heart sank as he looked over the photographs.

”We’ll need someone to come in and identify the body. Best if we call his aunt, Alice Close, or his work mate, Jamie. Can we arrange his transfer to Dumfries?”

Martin sighed. “We sent pictures, but the local chief super is in a pissing match with your boss over jurisdiction. Chapman’s body will stay in Queensferry for the time being.”

Ellie studied the photograph. “What’s the cause of death?”

”Blunt force trauma to the back of the head,” Morrison replied. “The coroner says he was bludgeoned with something that had a straight edge. He suspects it was a brick. He pulled some fragments from the wound and gave them to the lab for analysis. He thinks Richard may have been struck a dozen or so times.”

Hardy let out a breath. “Was this Patrick Eastman’s doing?”

Martin shook his head in disbelief. “If it was, he’s violent and potentially alone with the Evans children.”

”Christ,” Hardy muttered. He glanced up to see a tall man walk up. The man introduced himself as the local D.C.I. It wasn’t too long before Hardy, Martin, and the D.C.I. were embattled in an argument about chain of command. Ellie hung back. Her mindset, along with the general malaise of the first trimester, left her no patience for the bickering. 

Morrison nudged her. “One of the local officers said a bunch of CCTV came in,” he said quietly. “Care to go check it out while these three finish throwing their toys out of the pram?” Ellie had to smile as she followed Morrison down the hall. Neither Martin nor Hardy noticed their departure as they continued to dispute with the local D.C.I.

In the darkness and relative peace of the media room, Ellie was grateful for the distraction as she and Morrison turned on their monitors. As he clicked through various screens, Morrison glanced over at Ellie. “Everything okay?” he inquired, eyebrows raised. 

Ellie was momentarily caught off guard. “Sure,” she replied unconvincingly, as Morrison snorted with laughter. She raised her brows back at him. “What? Did he say something?”

Morrison nodded solemnly. “Yes, he tells me everything while we paint each other’s toenails. We’re best mates.” It was Ellie’s turn to laugh. Morrison gave her a sympathetic look. “I’ve got one just like him at home. They’re wonderful blokes but…” He shrugged his shoulders. “They have their moments. Just checking in. You’ve seemed stressed.”

Ellie was touched by his concern, but her trepidation over being pregnant and her earlier outburst weighed heavily on her mind. Hesitant to say too much, she smiled sadly back. “Stressful times, I guess. I appreciate it, though.” Morrison nodded before they both turned their attention back to their monitors. It wasn’t long before Morrison hit pause on the CCTV footage in front of him.

“I found the green Nissan. Longswood Road, 11:14, driving west.”

Ellie looked over to confirm. It appeared a lone figure was visible inside the car. She returned to her own screen. “I’ll look south of the car park. See if you can see him from the north.” Both clicked through various cameras, finding a few brief glimpses of the Nissan as it traveled. The area around the car park itself was monitored with maddeningly few cameras, but Ellie and Morrison were able to confirm its route of travel into town, as well as its approximate time of arrival. Ellie studied some street traffic before a familiar face caught her eye. “Bloody hell, it’s Patrick Eastman.”

Morrison walked over and stood behind her. She pointed to a man sporting scraggly facial hair and wearing glasses, walking towards the camera. He checked over a map. “He’s walking away from the car park.” Morrison and Ellie clicked through to watch Patrick stepping into an alleyway between two buildings. With a bit more furious searching, they located him waiting at a bus stop on a nearby street, glasses gone but sporting a toque. He has removed his flannel shirt, and now wore a long sleeve black t-shirt. Morrison continued to watch the screen as Ellie took over his previous monitor, frantically pulling up bus schedules and route maps. Morrison sped up the footage until the bus pulled up. “He’s boarding number 23, going east,” he called over as Ellie searched. 

Ellie sighed at the result. “It makes a stop at a bloody railway station,” she replied. “We need to get a warrant for footage from the bus and the station.” Morrison and Ellie stepped out of the media room and briskly walked back to the bullpen. Hardy, Martin, and the local D.C.I. had moved to a conference room. Looking through the window, Ellie surmised from their body language that the argument continued. Morrison pushed the door open and was met with glares.

“Sir?” Morrison inquired.

“Do you mind?” the local D.C.I. snapped. “It’s only a man’s remains we’re discussing here.”

“Seeing that Richard Chapman currently has nowhere to be,” Morrison retorted, “May I suggest we focus on Patrick Eastman? Sergeant Miller and I have located him on CCTV. It’s likely he drove the Nissan, and it appears he’s boarded a local bus heading for the train station.”

That was enough to catch the men’s attention. The three followed Ellie and Morrison back to the media room, where they viewed the footage. The local D.C.I. called in a DC. “Contact the transport police. We need access to their CCTV, now.”

It wasn’t too long before Patrick Eastman’s path was retraced. He departed the bus at the railway station before paying cash for a ticket to Perth. Once arriving, he boarded another bus, exiting in a suburban area on the edge of town. Footage from the bus showed him shrugging on the flannel as he walked out of sight.

The local D.C.I. picked up the phone to contact Perth’s police force while everyone else arranged their departure. Hardy’s heart pounded as he and Ellie entered his car. The elation at the possibility of finding Patrick Eastman countered the dread that he may have done harm to the Evans children. As Hardy sped down the dark road in the early hours of the morning, he glanced over at Ellie. She was asleep. The last several hours hadn’t adequately distracted him enough to forget what she’d said. As much as Hardy wanted to be supportive, he equally wanted the baby. Pulling up outside the Perth constabulary, he knew the matter would have to wait. 

“Wake up, love,” Hardy said, gently shaking Ellie awake. She opened her eyes without responding. A sudden rapping on the window made them both jump. Morrison stood outside the driver’s side window, gesturing. Hardy rolled down the window before Morrison leaned in. 

“I just got here ten minutes ago. The front desk pulled up notes from a call that came in a couple of weeks ago. A woman reported seeing a child outside a home she thought was occupied by a single man. Uniform drove by a few times, but nothing seemed suspicious. The house was close to where Patrick Eastman departed the bus. We’re heading there now. No lights or sirens.”

Hardy nodded wordlessly and raised the window. Morrison jumped into his own car, and they followed him out of the car park, joining in a parade of quiet vehicles. Within minutes, they pulled up outside a dark house in an unremarkable estate. Several uniformed officers and local detectives departed their vehicles and approached the building. Hardy opened his door. “Stay here,” he told Ellie. She ignored him as she stepped out of the car. They joined Morrison and the other officers in the house’s garden.

One of the detectives pounded on the door. “Perth Police,” she called out, rattling the doorknob. She knocked again. “Patrick Eastman, open up. We have a warrant.” She stepped aside to allow another officer to break the lock. As the door swung open, she entered with the other officers. Ellie and Hardy followed. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness inside, Hardy froze as they approached the kitchen. Sat at a cluttered table was Patrick Eastman, staring silently. No one spoke or moved for a brief minute, before he stood up. Dejectedly, he silently opened his empty hands to the detective before two officers grabbed his arms. As he was cuffed, the detective spoke. “Patrick Eastman, I’m arresting you in connection with the death of Richard Chapman and the abductions of Eric Evans, Tania Evans, and Annie Evans. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense…”

The detective continued reading Patrick his rights as the rest of the officers spread out inside the house. The building was quiet, almost painfully so, with no sign of any other people. Martin appeared at the top of the stairs, pulling on gloves as Ellie and Hardy walked up. “There’s a bedroom up here covered with blood,” he told them quietly. “It may have been where Richard Chapman was killed.” Hardy willed that the blood not belong to any of the children. 

They gave several dark rooms cursory glances before hearing an officer yell out from across the home. “Ma’am!”

The detective bolted upstairs as Martin, Ellie and Hardy watched from the hallway. She swiftly passed them by, and entered a bedroom. A uniformed officer held open a closet door, nodding inside. She knelt silently as the other officers crowded around. “Hello, there,” she said gently. Hardy peeked around her. Crouched in a corner, knees shaking against his chest, was Eric Evans.


	12. Chapter 12

The early morning hours remained dark and still, but police activity in Perth was in frenzy. The local CID buzzed with activity. Patrick Eastman accepted his arrest willingly, but refused to talk to officers or solicitors. Several different investigators, including Hardy, attempted to interview him, but all were met with a brick wall. Patrick wouldn’t speak, react, or show any semblance of emotion.

Working with Eric Evans wasn’t much easier. The lad had been reluctant to leave his hiding spot in the closet. Eventually, he emerged, shaking and silent. As detectives walked him out of the house, Ellie observed his physical appearance. He was clean and looked healthy, hair shaggy after three weeks of growth. His ill-fitting clothing had the second-hand pallor of many washes, likely picked up at a charity shop by someone inexperienced with buying for children.

Back at the station, Ellie and a local detective sat in a family room, gently trying to coax information out of Eric. Karina was on her way with Linda Evans, and although it would take a couple of hours for them to arrive, Ellie knew the time to get the details from Eric was limited. It wasn’t until Ellie told Eric that Linda was driving up that the floodgates opened.

“Patrick found me on Snapchat,” Eric said softly. “We started talking a lot. I mean… I liked having a brother. He started telling me about Richard and Shannon. It was interesting at first. I’ve always wanted to know about Shannon, but I was too scared to ask Mum.”

“Why were you scared?” Ellie inquired. She forced herself to come across as soothing as possible.

“I wasn’t scared of her…” Eric hesitated. “I just didn’t want to hurt her feelings. It’s just kind of bothered me the last few years that no one knew anything about Shannon, but she was my mum, too… kind of.”

Ellie nodded. She could see so much of Tom at that age – and Danny, too – in Eric. A young kid on the cusp of adolescence, whose emotions won over logic, leading to unforeseeable complications. “Tell us about when you decided to meet Patrick.”

Eric drew in a breath. “Patrick seemed normal at first, but the way he talked about Shannon was really bad. He called her a slag and a bitch… he said stuff about Mum, too. Said she didn’t care about us, she was only stuck with us because she just wanted Dad, but then he died and she was trapped. He kept saying we needed to get our real family back together – me and him, and Richard and Tania. Patrick didn’t want Annie to come, but we have to walk her home from school every day and he didn’t want her to tell, so...” Eric trailed off before continuing. “He hates Mum and Shannon. He said they’ve ruined our lives, and that we were better off without them.” Eric looked down, tears in his eyes. “The more he messaged me, I started believing him. It’s like he made sense. So when he said he had a plan for all of us to leave together, I was excited.”

“What was the plan?” the other detective asked.

“He started emailing and calling me and Tania,” Eric replied. “He told us how to delete messages and call histories and stuff. We talked to Richard a little bit, too. The day we left, Patrick told us to bring our laptops and iPad to school. He told us we had to turn off our mobiles, and then where we had to walk. Richard picked us up in a car, and we drove here.”

“What kind of car was it?” asked Ellie.

Eric shrugged. “It’s green, and kind of old.”

The local detective scribbled notes. “Your devices – are they still at the house?”

“Dunno,” said Eric, shifting in his seat. “Patrick took our computers and mobiles when we got there. He said he needed to be sure that no one could get information off them.”

Ellie nodded. “Tell us about Richard.”

“He was nice,” Eric began slowly. “Patrick was too, at first, but he yelled at Tania and Annie a lot. He was nicer to me. Patrick got kind of scary sometimes, and Richard tried to calm him down.” Eric stopped for a long moment, and tears began to roll down his cheeks. “Richard saw Mum and Shannon on the news asking after us, and Richard started changing his mind. He wanted to ring the police, and tell them where we were. But Patrick got mad…” Eric hiccupped a few breaths. “He and Richard went into a room, and they had a fight or something. I heard Richard screaming. Patrick was yelling at him, telling him to shut up...” Ellie’s heart broke for Eric, looking so distraught. “Patrick told us to stay upstairs in our rooms, and then he left.”

Ellie leaned forward. “Eric, do you know where Tania and Annie are?”

Eric shook his head, sobbing. “When Patrick left, we were scared. I was too afraid to leave the bedroom. I didn’t know what he was going to do. Tania was freaking out. She said we couldn’t stay, but I told her no, so she took Annie and they left when Patrick was gone. I followed them out, but then I saw all the blood, so I went in the closet…” Eric couldn’t speak through his tears.

At that moment, Karina opened the door with a soft knock. “Sergeant Miller?” she beckoned.

Ellie stood up to join her in the hallway. Linda Evans stood outside the door, twisting the strap of her purse in her hands while on the verge of hyperventilation. “Can I see Eric?” Linda asked breathlessly.

Ellie nodded silently, and held the door open for her. Linda entered the room, unable to suppress a wail as she saw Eric. He leaped from his chair and ran to her. Ellie couldn’t prevent her own tears from falling as Linda and Eric embraced, enveloping each other in their mutual fear and elation.

 

It was well into the next day before Ellie and Hardy began their drive back home. With Tania and Annie’s descriptions in the media and Perth police scouring the town, all they could do was wait. Hardy dreaded returning to his own precinct. The amount of distance Patrick Eastman’s crimes covered would serve to be a logistical nightmare. Pouring over paperwork with CPS, rather than joining the ground search for the Evans girls, felt futile. As he had promised Ellie, Hardy had made an appointment with a cardiologist scheduled for later that day. Learning about the baby was a good motivator for being more proactive with his own health, he surmised. It wouldn’t be fair to Ellie to shoulder the entirety of the family wellness burden. They hadn’t talked much on the journey, but as Hardy stole a glance at Ellie as he drove, he noticed her looking back at him. “Find somewhere to stop,” she said softly.

Hardy pulled off the road, stopping in the car park of a wooded recreation area. “Are you alright?” he asked. “Do you feel okay?” 

“Fine,” Ellie replied. She thought for a moment. “Actually, better than I’ve felt at this point in the morning for awhile.” She shifted in the passenger seat to face Hardy. “Listen… I’m sorry for what I said before. I’m just scared shitless. Between the case, and Joe, and feeling like hell, and neglecting Fred every day…” Hardy snorted in laughter. “I’m freaked out. I never thought I’d be in this position again, and I’m nervous about what the obstetrician might say.” Ellie leaned back and peered up at Hardy. “Do you hate me?”

Hardy shook his head. “Never.” He paused, and took in a breath. “Look… I’m not going to pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do. If you want to terminate, I’ll support you.”

It was Ellie’s turn to shake her head. “No… I don’t think I do.” She sighed and rubbed her temples. “I mean… I’m still making peace with the situation, and I really don’t know what’s going to happen, but another baby wouldn’t be the end of the world.” Ellie gave Hardy a rueful smile. “Not to mention you’re completely enamored with the idea.”

Hardy had to snicker. “Am I that obvious?”

“Please,” Ellie replied with amusement. “Anytime the baby comes up, it’s all over your bloody face.” Both laughed as Hardy weakly protested. She moved her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him in for a long, languid kiss. Hardy reciprocated, and it wasn’t long before they both moved in deeper, hands running over the other’s back as they pulled each other into an embrace. Despite the case, the circumstance, and the time of day, neither made any attempt to break up the encounter. As their hands explored and their ministrations became more frenetic, Hardy momentarily pulled away to glance out the windows.

“What are the odds that someone’s going to come round?” he inquired, out of breath. Ellie followed his gaze. They were the only occupants of the car park. The surrounding woods were quiet, lightly dappled by the rays of the morning sun.

“I think we’re alone,” Ellie replied. She turned back towards Hardy. “Let’s get in the back if you’re so worried.”

Hardy wordlessly exited the car and jogged to the passenger side door. He opened Ellie’s door, pulling her out by the hand before both scurried into the backseat. Throwing a few of Fred’s errant belongings into the hatchback, Ellie pushed Hardy back onto the seat and climbed on top of him. Leaning down to snog him, her hands moved from his chest to his tie before she drew back to undo his trousers. Hardy lifted his hips as Ellie pulled them off. She paused, taking another surreptitious look around the empty car park before turning back to Hardy with a glean in her eyes. “Sit up,” she ordered quietly. Hardy followed instructions, drawing in a sharp breath as she grasped him and leaned down to service him. All Hardy could do was sit back against the window, eyes closed, as he stroked the back of Ellie’s head. It was only a few minutes before he felt close enough to the edge that he coaxed Ellie up. He ran his hands over her hips before unfastening her own trousers, pushing her clothing down before grabbing her by the waist and maneuvering her onto his lap. An involuntary gasp escaped Ellie as she settled on top of him. She worked her hips, moving her hands to the back of Hardy’s head to grasp at his hair. His hands roamed her body under her suit jacket, above her work blouse. Ellie grabbed his hand and moved it down between her legs as she rocked against him. He complied willingly, touching her. The feeling of her was enough to push Hardy to the finish. He held her by the waist as he came, stroking her more frenetically. Ellie didn’t last much longer, crying out as she stilled on top of him. Perspiring in the chilly car, still mostly dressed, neither Hardy nor Ellie could suppress their dazed laughter as they came down. “Christ,” Ellie muttered, pushing Hardy’s sweaty bangs from his forehead. He pulled Ellie against him into a tight embrace. She settled against him willingly, resting her head against his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her back. Hardy pushed his face into the side of her neck.

In the privacy of the back seat, errant light trickling through the tree branches, all Hardy could do was mutter “I bloody love you” into Ellie’s skin as they drank in the moment.


	13. Chapter 13

In the cardiologist’s office, Hardy shifted in his seat, trying to get into a comfortable position without disturbing the position of the monitors assessing his pacemaker. A technician watching the results on a screen looked over at him and smiled. “Not much longer now. Just about five more minutes,” she informed him as Hardy nodded. He glanced around the room. Hardy wasn’t one to look to his mobile for entertainment, but being expressly banned from using it during the check made him crave his phone. As he looked over the indecipherable data being generated on the monitors, Hardy idly wondered if the technician would know that he’d had a shag in the last few hours based on whatever measurements she was taking. Hardy forced himself to think of something else as to not clue her off right then – in any form the memory might manifest itself. Luckily for him, his cardiologist entered the examination room at that moment.

The doctor peered at the monitor before briefly flipping through Hardy’s chart. “Everything looks in order. The battery is still at a good level, function looks fine, your heart rate and blood pressure are within healthy limits.” He glanced over at Hardy. “No issues with shortness of breath or dizziness?” Hardy shook his head. “Well, then,” the doctor continued as the technician freed Hardy from the monitors. “The device will likely need replacing in the next couple of years or so, but nothing’s pressing right now. You’re in good physical health.” Hardy shrugged on his shirt as the doctor continued. “Any questions?”

“Um, just one. How much should my kids worry about arrhythmia? Is it hereditary?”

The doctor considered the question. “It can be, but there isn’t always a clear line. How old are your kids?”

“My daughter’s 20,” Hardy replied, buttoning his shirt. “She’s been to a cardiologist and nothing’s flagged up. I’ve got another one on the way, so I was mostly curious for that one.”

The cardiologist raised his brow as he glanced down at Hardy’s chart. “You’re 50?”

“Your judgment is noted,” Hardy said dryly as he pulled his suit jacket back on.

“I apologize,” the doctor replied. “Like I said, arrhythmia isn’t always black and white. Some babies experience irregular heartbeats in utero, or others may develop symptoms in adulthood. I’d let their doctor know, but I wouldn’t worry about it. How far along in the pregnancy is the baby’s mum?”

“Just passed ten weeks,” said Hardy as he redid his tie.

“Is she… in your peer group, or younger?”

Hardy shot a glare at the cardiologist. “She’s 45.”

“Well, then,” the doctor replied. “Best of luck to you both.”

Hardy reminded himself to find a new cardiologist as he pulled on his coat.

 

Three excruciating days passed without any sign of Tania and Annie Evans. Seeing to Linda kept Ellie busy. Linda was torn between returning home to allow Eric some normalcy after his ordeal and wanting to stay in Perth, where local police searched for the missing girls. Driving back and forth and trying to keep Linda calm was wearing her down. Ellie was exhausted. After leaving Linda’s house, Ellie decided to make a detour towards Hardy’s constabulary. As she climbed out of her car and headed towards the building, it suddenly dawned on Ellie that she hadn’t felt nauseous in a couple of days. Although she was still nervous about her impending 12 week appointment with the obstetrician, she was grateful for the respite from feeling ill. Ellie made her way through CID, spotting Hardy through his office door. She gave a light knock before entering. “Alright?” Hardy gestured her in. Ellie closed the door behind her. Hardy was sat at his desk, papers cluttering the surface. Ellie joined him behind the desk, wrapping her arm around his shoulder as he remained seated. “Any news?”

Hardy shook his head before he wrapped his arm around Ellie’s waist. “No sign of the girls. We’ve recruited precincts surrounding Perth to search their local areas. And here I am, buried under a mountain of paperwork and answering to half a dozen commanding officers all over the bloody country.” He leaned against Ellie as she reached up to stroke his hair. “How’s Linda?”

“The same,” Ellie replied. “Bouncing between ecstatic to have Eric back and terrified for Tania and Annie. I was there for most of the morning, along with the social worker looking after Eric. He’s adjusting to it all a lot more calmly than his mum is.”

"I just don't understand," Hardy sighed. "It's all over the telly and the papers that Patrick's been arrested and Eric's home safe. If the girls are hiding from Patrick, surely they know there's no risk anymore."

"Unless they're somewhere where they can't see the news," Ellie replied. "They could be in a barn or a shed somewhere. It isn't as if they would hide in a doorway on the high street." She looked down at Hardy, who peered up at her. "Maybe contact the media office, have them to put out a public appeal asking people in the vicinity of Perth to check their property for any signs that the girls may have been there."

"That's a start," Hardy mused. "I just worry that someone out there would know they're hiding out, and would take advantage of the situation. It feels bloody useless to be here filling out paperwork when there are missing children out there." He buried his face again Ellie’s abdomen as she embraced his head with both arms. They held each other in silence for a moment. The office door opened abruptly, and Ellie and Hardy quickly separated as Morrison stuck his head in. His eyes flickered between the two.

"I apologize for interrupting..." Morrison began. "But the constabulary in Perth just rang. Patrick Eastman is finally talking. They're emailing a video through."  
Hardy pulled up his email as Morrison joined him and Ellie behind the desk. He opened the video as they crowded around the monitor. On the screen, Patrick Eastman appeared, sat at a table in an interview room, joined by officers and a solicitor. Gone was the silent man who was arrested and detained a few days prior. Patrick was seemingly in the middle of a manic episode, talking a mile a minute about the ordeal.

“…Richard was mad, because I moved up the date by two weeks. I bought the Nissan from a bloke online the day prior, but I got to thinking, why wait? Those kids needed to get away from their mum, right? I called him at work and told him it was time to go. He never got over it the entire time we were in the gaffe. But we couldn’t wait. I had to get the kids away from that slag. They weren’t safe! Richard kept questioning me, and arguing about every little thing, but he saw those cunts in the papers and said he was going to ring the police. I couldn’t let him do it. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I was furious! He wanted to break up the family. By the time I got back to Perth, Eric wouldn’t talk to me because of Richard, and those little bitches ran off.”

“Do you know where the girls are, Patrick?” asked one of the officers on camera.

“I don’t fucking care,” snapped Patrick.

The interview continued for quite some time. All Morrison, Ellie, and Hardy could do was watch. Patrick provided no clues to where Annie and Tania might be. Otherwise, the investigation was out of their hands.

 

The next night, Ellie and Hardy found themselves at home after another day of no new leads. “Linda is inconsolable,” Ellie said, voice muffled from against her pillow. Hardy listened to her recount her day from the ensuite as he readied himself for bed. “She can barely keep it together for Eric at this point. She doesn't know where she wants to be, and she never wants to leave Eric but also doesn’t want to expose him to anything else… I’m so tired.”

Hardy flipped the light switch in the bathroom and joined Ellie in their bedroom. He observed her lying facedown. “You alright?”

Ellie lifted her head to look at him. “Yeah, it’s just my lower back is killing me. Too much time spent driving today.” She put her face back down as Hardy rubbed her back. “I finally called the bloody obstetrician to make an appointment,” she said into the pillow. “It’s in ten days. Can you make it?”

“I’ll clear my diary,” Hardy replied, still rubbing.

“Good,” Ellie said. “There’s no way in hell I’m going by myself.”

“I’ll be there. I hate to point this out, Miller, but you may be stuck with me.” Hardy could hear Ellie’s muffled snickers.

“Smart arse,” she mumbled into the bed. Hardy had to laugh along as he continued to massage her back.

It wasn’t long before Hardy was awoken by the buzz of his mobile on the nightstand. Blearily, he looked at the screen. It was a text from a PC in his constabulary, informing him that police in Perth received a call from a resident who found evidence that someone had been squatting inside a garage on his property. However, no one caught sight of the girls themselves. Hardy sighed and glanced over at the bed next to him. He could see an outline of light radiating from around the closed door of the ensuite, but he was alone. Hardy flipped on the lamp situated at his bedside. He froze at the sight of blood in the empty sheets next to him.

Hardy immediately climbed out of bed and crossed the bedroom briskly. He pushed the door open tentatively before entering. Ellie was seated on a bathmat, leaning against the tub, wrapped in a dark navy towel. Hardy noticed her bloodied pajamas discarded in a pile nearby. She looked up at him, arms keeping the towel tight around her.

Hardy wasn’t sure what to say. “How long…?”

Ellie shook her head. “An hour, maybe? Cramps woke me up, and then I saw all the…” she gestured around her as she trailed off. Hardy walked into the bathroom and sat beside her on the mat, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him. Ellie leaned against his side, shivering. “I’m freezing.” She made a muffled groan before letting out a shaky breath. Hardy rubbed her bare arm and pressed his face into the top of her head, trying to ignore the splintering feeling in his heart.


	14. Chapter 14

“Where’s Mum?” Hardy was momentarily distracted from the laundry as Fred shuffled into the kitchen. Fred took a seat in front of the toast Hardy has prepared for him.

“Um, Mum’s not feeling well, mate. I’ll drive you to school today.”

Fred accepted the answer without question as he nibbled on his toast. Hardy pulled the laundry from the dryer, separating several towels from the load. He carefully folded the stained sheets and Ellie’s pajamas before dumping both in the bin. It seemed to Hardy somehow profane to do otherwise. They’d both been up for most of the night as Ellie worked through the initial rounds of bleeding and cramping. As much as he wanted to return upstairs and crawl back into bed with her, Fred needed seeing to. Hardy felt grim as he packed Fred’s lunch. He’d called the obstetrician’s after hours answering service to seek advice and made an appointment for Ellie to be seen that morning. Although Hardy accepted that the pregnancy was over, he still dreaded hearing the confirmation.

 

Hardy’s nerves were still on edge later that morning in the obstetrician’s office. He held Ellie’s hand as a technician gave her a scan. The obstetrician watched the monitor. Hardy glanced between the doctor and Ellie. He couldn’t decipher any information from the obstetrician’s face. Ellie had been uncharacteristically quiet since she woke up. Just as Hardy felt he was about to go mad from anticipation, the doctor shook her head. “There’s no heartbeat,” she said. “You’re measuring about a week behind where you should be. I’m sorry.’ Hardy let out the breath he’d been holding. He ran his fingers over Ellie’s knuckles and looked back at her. Her expression remained unnervingly neutral as she wiped the gel from her abdomen with a flannel. She sat up as the obstetrician continued. “I’m going to recommend you undergo a D&C today,” the doctor said. “It’s an outpatient procedure, and it should stop the majority of the bleeding. You’ll be under a general anesthetic, but you won’t need to stay overnight.”

“Um, that’s fine,” Ellie replied. She wouldn’t look at Hardy as the obstetrician nodded before leaving the room. She stood up to change into a hospital gown. Hardy wanted to speak, but didn’t know what to say. Instead, he stood to tie the back of the gown for her. After he finished, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her from behind, pushing his face into her shoulder. Neither moved nor spoke for a moment, until Ellie said, “I’m sorry.”

Hardy shook his head from his position against her back. “You have nothing to be sorry for, love.”

“I know how excited you were.” Hardy could hear the catch in Ellie’s voice. “And I was so bloody angry.” She wiped a few tears from her cheeks and gave a breathy laugh. “Christ. I got what I wanted, didn’t I?”

Hardy turned Ellie towards him. She fell into his embrace willingly, leaning into his chest as Hardy planted a kiss into her hair. “This isn’t your fault. It’s just… what it is.” His own eyes were wet as he heard Ellie sniffle against him. “I love you.”

Eventually, Ellie was taken back for the procedure while Hardy waited in reception. The D&C was over relatively quickly, and a nurse came out to inform him that Ellie was in recovery and doing well. Hardy shifted as he waited to join her himself. He felt Ellie’s mobile buzz from inside her bag, deposited with her coat on the neighboring chair. Hardy pulled out the phone to see a text from her solicitor on the screen.

Good news! Judge granted you a decree nisi. Joe had a change in heart and won’t petition for visitation. We’ll move ahead with petitioning for termination of his parental rights.

Hardy slipped the phone inside Ellie’s bag and leaned back with a sigh. It was good news, and on any other day Ellie would have immediately rung him with excitement. Hardy gazed around the quiet waiting area and idly wondered if he could convince Ellie that they should take the kids on holiday and marry at a destination rather than in the registrar’s office. Somewhere warm, he thought to himself. In light of the current circumstances, Hardy was determined to make the most of their time together as a family, even if they would remain as five members.

 

Hardy had arranged for Fred to stay overnight at a friend’s to give him and Ellie a bit of quiet once they returned home. Fred was ecstatic about spending time with his mate and Hardy felt almost guilty as Fred shot into the house, chasing his friend, as Hardy spoke to the mate’s mum at the front door. Everyone else assumed that Ellie and Hardy were working, and he hadn’t corrected the assumptions. Despite this, they were able to use the quiet couple of days, home alone, to catch up on rest and attempt to process what had happened. 

By the time they returned to work two days later, Ellie was feeling much better physically, but her head was still swimming in the aftermath. She bounced between sadness at the loss of the pregnancy, relief that it was over, and guilt over Alec’s previous excitement. She checked in with Linda Evans, and returned to the office to find no significant leads in Tania and Annie Evan’s disappearance. Although the lull in work was unnerving, she took the opportunity to invite Karina to a chippy stand for lunch and fill her in on the events of the previous few days.

“Christ,” Karina said, biting into a chip as Ellie finished talking about the D&C. “You’ve been through the ringer, haven’t you?”

Ellie shrugged as she poked at her fish. “I really don’t know what to feel about all this. I think Alec’s hesitant to actually speak his mind. He was far more keen on the idea of another baby than I was.” She took a bite, and considered her thoughts. “I feel like a monster, though. I was coming around to the idea, but I was scared about everything that could potentially go wrong.” Ellie sighed. “The doctor said that the miscarriage could have been caused by a chromosomal issue. She gave us the option of getting the tissue genetically tested, but I said no. What’s the point, really? We’re not going to try for another one.”

Both women heard their mobiles buzz just then. They fished out their phone to see a group text from Martin. “Evans girls found in Scone. Contact Linda and start driving out there,” Karina narrated as she read. “Jesus.” Ellie and Karina quickly dumped the remains of their lunch in the bin and jumped into Ellie’s car.

 

After over two hours of driving, Hardy and Morrison were the first of the Dumfries officers to arrive in Scone. Activity in the small constabulary buzzed as they were greeted by a local D.I. “A local woman actually caught Tania in her kitchen,” the D.I. told them. “She was sneaking into the house to get some food. The woman recognized Tania from the papers, and Tania took her to a neighboring property where she and Annie had been hiding in a stable. She made the girls sandwiches and rang us about an hour ago.”

The D.I. led them to an interview room. Hardy and Morrison peered through the blinds to see Annie and Tania looking dirty and disheveled. Both had changed into clothing provided by the police, with their original outfits presumably bagged as evidence. Both were wrapped in blankets and eating biscuits. They were sat with two female officers. Hardy could see the four talking but couldn’t discern what they were saying. 

“We called a doctor,” the local officer continued. “She’s in the bullpen right now, talking with the lead officer, but she gave them a cursory check earlier. She says they’re both physically okay. They dropped some weight this week but managed to stay out of the cold by sleeping under horse blankets most nights.”

“Any sign they were subjected to sexual violence?” Hardy asked.

The detective shook his head. “Not as far as we can tell. When their mother gets here, we’re transferring them to hospital for a more thorough exam.”

“Both Patrick and Eric denied that there was any sexual abuse from either of the men against any of the children,” Morrison said. “SOCO didn’t find any physical evidence suggesting as much in the house either.”

“I don’t understand any of this,” the local D.I. said. “Why convince the children to leave home? Why do any of this?”

Hardy sighed and shook his head. “Patrick is a misogynist with undiagnosed mental illness. He developed delusions of grandeur and a savior complex, convinced himself he was saving the children, and managed to talk several vulnerable young people into going along with it. Probably made perfect bloody sense to the lot of them several weeks ago.”

The three heard activity pick up at the front doors of the constabulary. Linda Evans shot in, followed by Ellie, Karina, and Eric. “Are my girls here?” she gasped, teary. The local D.I. nodded and led her back to the interview room. The officers and Eric followed as Linda burst through the door. 

“Mum!” Annie and Tania bolted from their seats and into Linda’s arms. She engulfed them in a hug, sobbing as she held them tightly. Eric joined them in the room, and Linda pulled him into their embrace. The officers hung back and allowed the reunited family their moment. Hardy edged his way through the small crowd to stand next to Ellie. He reached over to give her hand a discreet grasp. She squeezed his back lightly as they watched the Evans family.

“Why did you run, girls? Why didn’t you contact anyone?” Linda said through tears, pressing her face into Tania’s hair. 

“We were scared,” Tania answered, voice cracking under her own tears. “We didn’t know what Patrick was going to do. I thought he would try to find us. The lady at the house said she saw on telly that he’d been arrested. I’m sorry, Mum.”

Linda shook her head. “Don’t be, lovely.” She wiped her eyes and sighed. “Oh my god, I’m just thankful you’re back.”

 

After the Evans family were safely reunited, life went on for everyone involved. Patrick plead guilty to three counts of child abduction and one count voluntary manslaughter. He would likely spend the rest of his life in a secure mental health facility. Richard Chapman was laid to rest. His aunt, Alice, arranged the ceremony, and his mother, Shannon Evans, attended. Shannon and Linda worked together to build a tentative relationship between Shannon and her youngest biological children, beginning the long awaited process of healing and reconciliation.

Hardy and Ellie moved forward as well. Ellie was finally granted her divorce from Joe, as well as sole custody of Fred. Hardy got his wish when Ellie agreed to a small wedding in southern Italy on an upcoming holiday with Daisy, Tom, and Fred. Working through the loss of the baby was a process, but both grew to make peace with the situation. They found themselves in their back garden on an early spring day, daylight patchy and air chilly. Fred tore after his football as Hardy finished shoveling the last of a small pile of soil. They had agreed that they wouldn’t tell their other children about the pregnancy, but wanted to find a private, personal way to commemorate the child they’d nearly welcomed together. They decided to plant a Douglas fir in the relatively sparse garden as a memorial and a reminder.

Hardy left the spade against the fence and joined Ellie, watching from a few feet away. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him as they both surveyed the tiny tree. It would grow and thrive, remaining green all year, and exist long after they both were gone. “We’re going to be the only two people who remember this, eventually,” Ellie said softly against Hardy’s shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair. They would both mourn the loss for some time, but were grateful for what they did have. They embraced for a long, quiet moment before the football whizzed past Hardy’s feet. Fred, however, ran straight into Hardy. 

“Blimey, mate,” Hardy said with a grunt as he let go of Ellie and latched onto Fred, lifting him from the ground and spinning him sideways as Ellie laughed at the scene. Fred cracked up and ran after the football, Hardy at his heels. Life would always present challenges, but in that moment, everyone was at peace.


End file.
